


An Omega's Life

by haganenoheichou



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha!Erwin, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Dubious Consent, Knotting, M/M, Mpreg, NSFW, Omega Verse, Omega!Levi, Omegaverse, Prostitution, Sex, eruri - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2016-10-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 13:06:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 33,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5164904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haganenoheichou/pseuds/haganenoheichou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi Ackerman had always thought he'd live out his life as a boring little Beta in the Underground. Well, he was wrong. From a street rat to the best Omega whore in town to a soldier, he tackles whatever life throws at him. </p><p>Except he can't quite put a finger on the blond Alpha that's taken a shine to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A new fanfic, yay! I have wanted to write an Omegaverse Eruri for AGES, and now that NSFW Eruri week is on, and the prompt of the day is Non-Human, I figured what the hell?

Levi knew that he was in deep shit. Scratch that, the _deepest_ shit he’d ever been in since perhaps before the day he was born to his unfortunate whore of a mother. He harbored no illusions as to his parentage, as his uncle, the only _Alpha_ in the family, had been very successful in driving the message into his head. Levi had been told time and time again that he had nothing to aspire to: the Alpha line had ended with Kenny, which meant that he would be stuck in the lower layers of society as a good-for-nothing, impoverished Beta. And that had been fine by him, really. Levi had never had big dreams about being in the government or the army. All he’d ever wanted was to survive.

Apparently, though, fate was a cruel bitch and it had taken a liking to using Levi as its scapegoat. He had been out running errands when the unmistakable wave of _heat_ had hit him, leaving him crumpled on the ground and barely able to move. As soon as it had happened, he had been surrounded by lecherous hands and prying eyes, salivating mouths and god, that _stench_ of unbonded Alpha permeating the already stale air of the Underground. No, he couldn’t do this, he couldn’t just go down like this; and so he had crawled as fast as he had been able to, back to the stronghold of Kenny’s shack on the outskirts of the accursed Underground city.

He hadn’t expected a welcoming embrace or even a pat on the back, for that matter. What he had wanted was shelter – somehow, some naïve part of his brain had assumed that Kenny wouldn’t leave his only family for dead. Well, he certainly hadn’t.

Several hours later, a shaking and sobbing Levi was handed over to an Omega House, the only one in this town. Most Omegas either died or were immediately taken over by some street hoodlum upon manifesting. Levi was a late bloomer, he was an anomaly, and he had assumed for years now that he would forever be a Beta. Except the sickly-sweet smell of his own body told him otherwise – him and dozens of others who had since come in contact with him.

Kenny pocketed the money and smirked at his nephew. “Well, at least I finally got some cash out of you, kid. You enjoy getting fucked… or whatever, I don’t really care. See you… or not.”

That was the last Levi saw of Kenny for a long time. He sat slumped against the wall as the Omega House handler filled out some paperwork. He was asked some intrusive questions: _are you a virgin? Have you ever sucked dick? When did your heat start?_ Levi was beyond understanding most of them now, his body prepared for entirely different activities. Things that the Omega House specialized in.

Omega Houses were technically illegal under the royal government; which made them all the more popular with those from the upper class. Many pot-bellied Betas and bored, rich Alphas paid thousands in gold for one night with an Omega without consequences. Levi’s nose was pinched and he was forced to choke down the horrendous taste of contraceptive preparations. He supposed that it was good, right? At least he wouldn’t have to worry about dying in childbirth.

Though his body was on fire, his mind was weirdly numb. It was as if he didn’t care about what happened to him anymore. Perhaps it was the primal effect of the hormones that raged within him, or the sting of Kenny’s betrayal; but when the handler came for him, he obediently accompanied the man to the communal bathroom. He was told to wash himself – but not too thoroughly, since the smell was supposed to _cling_ to his skin to make him more desirable (“Not that you’re much to look at, anyway”). Levi’s shaking hands managed to get most of the grime off his body before he collapsed onto the floor once more, seizing and gasping. The handler only smirked and picked him up as if he weighed nothing. He was given a coarse woolen blanket and a tiny corner in the room where the rest of his _colleagues_ slept. Boys younger than him, by three to four years, all huddled together. They didn’t like the appearance of a new Omega in heat – because there was no question as to whom the patrons would choose.

Levi ignored their glares, the ache in his body almost unbearable. The humiliating slickness between his cheeks made him aware of the situation he was in. He was going to be an Omega whore in the Underground. Maybe he’d get to fuck royalty.

Maybe he could even get out of here.

As his consciousness slipped back into the urge of his heat, Levi found himself thinking that he would see the sky. Even if he had to put his ass on the line for that.

***

“Fuck, you’re good!”

Levi waited until the man on top of him stopped shuddering to pull away and immediately reach for the washcloth. He smirked slyly at the panting Beta on the bed, noting the two golden teeth in the half-open mouth that panted and dripped saliva all over his pillow. No matter, he’d have someone change the sheets.

“I know I’m good. In fact, I am the best,” Levi said with a small grin that was only half-pretend. He really _was_ the best around. Better than any of the other boys in the basement, where they had been moved since the handler had decided that Levi needed his very own room to attend to the many people who placed himself on the waiting list weeks in advance. Business flourished for Levi, and he was eternally grateful to the pathetic men like this one who came to see him every day. Even outside of his heats, he was still miles ahead of the other boys.

“How come you don’t work upstairs?” The Beta man asked as he sat up, his wet stomach flopping over his thighs. Levi suppressed the urge to grimace at the sight, choosing instead to tantalize the man with the vision of himself rubbing away the results of their sex.

“Nobody’s ever come to take me away,” he replied in a sultry tone. “You know how expensive it is to go there.”

The man’s face darkened, and he sighed. “I wish I had enough to take you there, Levi. You know I’d do anything for you.”

Levi shuddered inwardly. He had been told that seven times at least this week. And it was only Wednesday. “Well, I suppose that when you have the money, you know where to find me. I’ll be down here, waiting with my legs open.”

The man paid soon after, leaving him a handsome tip that he stashed away from the prying eyes of the handler. He took a moment to drink a cup of tea and comb his hair. His face in the mirror seemed younger than he felt. Perhaps Omega hormones worked like that. He didn’t really know, considering he’d never been given the opportunity to study his condition. Lifelong condition that it was.

“Next!” He called finally when he finished grooming. He laid down onto the bed and as the door swung open, his eyes took on a misty gloss.

“What can I do for you today… _Sir_?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is chapter 2 celebrate the new Tumblr feature: instant messaging. Finally, year late, but they delivered.

It was a raid. That was all Levi understood before the handler unceremoniously threw his clothes at him, tossed out the current client, and then ordered him down into the basement together with the rest of the boys, under lock and key. Levi was definitely not happy about this, considering the guy he had been fucking was a very well-paying customer, and also because the rest of the boys resented him for taking the top spot. Nevertheless, the handler’s orders were law, so there he was, shivering on a stone cold floor with another seven young men, three of which were in suppressed heats. Levi tried to stay away from those. Territorial Omegas were not on his agenda for the night.

“W-what’s going on?” A whispered question seemed to resound throughout the quiet room as they all cowered there, listening intently for any indication of trouble.

“The soldiers from the surface. The Military Police,” another voice explained and Levi rolled his eyes. The Military Police didn't conduct raids on the Omega House. Too many of their officers came here on a regular basis. No, they raided businesses that were not a rarity aboveground, but steered clear of those that brought them personal benefits. That was the way the government worked in the city over their heads, and Levi absolutely hated the essence of it. Of course, he never told any of his clients that, some of whom came into his room bearing the unicorn insignia across their backs. To them, he was the perfect Omega. They were powerful people, and he needed them on his side.

There was a scuffle outside the door, and when it swung open, it revealed the handler accompanied by a pair of very menacing Betas. The handler’s gaze was heavy as he surveyed the room before nodding. “Get rid of the evidence.”

That was when the real panic started. In an instant, the entire room was in motion. Levi ducked behind the rest of the boys, completely unashamed of his cowardly act of self-preservation. He couldn’t afford to die here, not Underground, not before seeing the sun, smelling the air of the city above, not before _freedom_. He shut his eyes beneath the blanket, trying to drown out the screams as shots went off in rapid succession. He heard bodies hit the floor with dull thuds, he heard the gurgling sounds of someone’s final breaths, but the experience left him weirdly numb – as if he had expected this to happen all along. Omegas or not, they were expendable.

Suddenly, a new sound broke through the cacophony and the shots stopped. Three more thuds followed. He pressed himself into the junction between the wall and the floor, hoping to make himself as small as possible. Footsteps landed on the cold floor, wet with blood.

“They’re all dead,” a deep male voice announced and he thought he heard a sigh follow the statement. Another set of footsteps accompanied the first, kicking aside what must have been someone’s breathless corpse.

“All Omegas?” Another voice inquired, probably belonging to the first person’s companion. This voice was different – also deep, but somehow more commanding, with more of a presence. It was ludicrous but despite the seriousness of the situation Levi found himself thinking that he would fuck the owner of that voice. It was stable, completely unruffled by the things the person had seen. Rich and flavorful, it was made to give commands and issue orders. Levi’s fingers trembled as he tried to move the blanket so that he could get a look at the man who possessed the enchanting voice. “What a shame.”

“You think?” The first voice asked, and Levi found it completely lacking compared to the second one. He wouldn’t take orders from that voice. In fact, he wouldn’t even _look_ at whomever used it. “Better now than aboveground.”

They were from aboveground. They really were some sort of soldier formation. Levi frowned to himself, thinking.

The footsteps stopped right in front of him and he held his breath again, shivering.

“This one’s alive,” the first voice announced. “I can smell him. Ripe as a peach.”

The blanket was withdrawn from him, and instinctively, Levi lashed out, blindly attacking. He found himself scratching and clawing and beating at a broad, leather-and-cotton clad chest furiously. He didn’t know why he did this – it was that strange self-preservation lark of his, he supposed, that led his wrists to being grabbed and restrained.

“A feisty one.” Levi panted, looking up at what appeared to be the owner of the first voice. He was a very tall, scruffy-looking Beta with a mustache that Levi found considerably creepy, and blond hair styled in a military-issue undercut. The man was so huge Levi was staring at his midriff even though he had been lifted slightly off his feet by the man’s grip. “Still kicking and fighting, huh?”

Levi’s eyes focused on the insignia across the side of the man’s chest. Wings. A pair of Wings.

He’d heard about them before. He’d never seen them up close.

“Wings of Freedom…” He breathed, and the man laughed, his voice sounding harsh in the eerie silence of the corpse-filled room.

“He speaks. Hey, Erwin, he knows about us,” he said over his shoulder. Levi hated the fact that he was distracted and still managed to keep a healthy grip on him, thus rendering him incapable of lashing out again.

The owner of the second voice stepped up at this moment, and Levi felt his own eyes go wide.

The second man was like the sun.

Not as tall as his companion, but just as broad and blond, the man was every bit as imposing and even more. His blue eyes fixed on Levi, he strode forward, leaning in without touching Levi. The Omega inhaled carelessly, and he felt his knees go weak. Fuck, the man _smelled_ so… different. Potent. He must have noticed, too, because the steely eyes softened, and the pale lips stretched into a half-smile.

“How interesting,” the man, _Erwin_ , said, inspecting Levi with those fucking _eyes_ of his. Levi’s Omega instincts screamed at him to look down and bare his neck, to submit to the man right then and there, but he fought against them, tooth and nail, as he tried to deter the man’s prying gaze away from his person. “Do you have a name, Omega?”

 _Omega._ Levi hated being addressed like that. The man’s slip jarred him into focus if only a little, and he managed to tear his gaze away from the blue irises and focus on the man’s chest instead. Fuck, he could just _see_ himself being pressed against that chest.

“Levi,” he breathed finally. With a sharp intake of breath, he looked at the first man defiantly. “Who are you?”

The man who was holding him grinned broadly before dropping Levi to the floor in an undignified heap. “Would you look at that? Never seen one like this. All claws.”

Levi growled and the first man only chuckled. His companion didn't find Levi’s display amusing at all, or if he did, he didn’t show it. Levi’s eyes widened when he saw the man kneel in front of him, extending his hand in a greeting of civilized men. Levi had never been offered such a greeting before.

“Levi, then. I’m Erwin Smith. This is Mike Zacharius. We are from the Survey Corps.”

 _The Survey Corps. The suicidal idiots,_ according to the many Military Police officers who had visited Levi before. The men and women who saw beyond the wall. The ones who died the most. The ones who fought the Titans in their natural habitat.

Levi had no conception of the Titans. He’d only heard _of_ them. They sounded pretty fucking terrifying. So these men must have been very strong and stubborn to have survived them, right?

Shakily, Levi took the hand, surprised at how warm it was. Alphas were usually either icy cold or scorching hot when they came to the Omega House. But this hand was… normal.

“W-why did you do this?” Levi asked, finally forcing himself to glance around the room. He quickly looked down at his bare feet to mask the disgust and horror. They were all dead. True, he’d never been particularly fond of them, nor had he been fond of the handler who was seeping blood from a gushing wound in his neck. But this was the only place he’d ever known besides Kenny’s home.

“We didn’t do this. We came here for an inspection,” Erwin said calmly. “The Military Police wouldn’t do anything about the rumors of an illicit Omega House being run down there, so we–,”

“Went off on our own,” Mike supplied, making Erwin frown. Fuck, he was even hot when he frowned. Levi felt his cheeks flood with color. This wouldn’t do at all, he realized. Erwin could definitely smell him. And so could Mike, apparently. Betas weren’t known for an acute sense of smell, but this one sniffed at the air constantly, making him look more like a bloodhound than a man.

“They wouldn’t do anything because… they came here often,” Levi said quietly, covering himself with the blanket self-consciously. Erwin nodded.

“That’s why we came. It was time to do something about the conditions you boys lived in–,”

“But they’re dead,” Levi said, just as quietly. “They’re all dead because of you.”

Erwin sighed. “It was not our intention to cause a massacre, I assure you. We wanted to extract you from here and send you aboveground, to proper Omega facilities for processing and pairing–,”

“From an iron cage to a golden one,” Mike grumbled, clearly disliking Erwin’s propensity for following procedure. Levi glanced at him wearily before returning his attention to Erwin.

“They said they wanted to get rid of the evidence,” he replied, his hands shaking. “And then they started shooting.”

“You’re the only one who survived this,” Erwin confirmed, and Levi felt a shiver go down the length of his spine. He was alone.

“What are you going to do with me?” He asked. He found that he didn’t care much. He’d done it all before. “I can _thank_ you right here, if you want.”

He glanced up at Erwin challengingly, his old training kicking in as his voice took on a distant, velvety quality. “It must be stressful, all that work–,”

“Seriously, kid?” Mike laughed, pointing at Erwin. “This one? He’s about as celibate as a Wallist.”

“So not at all?’ Levi asked, braving a repartee. Mike and Erwin stared at him for a moment before chuckling. Levi found that he liked the sound of Erwin’s laughter.

“How long have you been here?” Erwin asked, and Levi shrank back, knowing that he was going to be judged by these _clean, tanned_ people.

“Long enough to know how these things work,” Levi replied defiantly. “Look, are you going to fuck me or what?”

“Do you have somewhere to be?” Mike asked, unimpressed. Levi shot him a glare.

“Need to make a living somehow now that my only source of income is spewing guts onto the floor,” he said, wrinkling his nose. He was itching for a bath, he realized.

Erwin gave him a long look. “You’re too interesting to be handed over to the Royal Government, to be perfectly honest.”

Levi shrugged, feigning disinterest. “So?”

“Oh, no,” Mike muttered under his breath. “Erwin, we can’t–,”

“Look at him.” Erwin turned to face Mike. He took Levi by the wrist and made him stand up. Levi’s knees buckled and he found himself resting against Erwin’s chest. Fuck, the smell was getting to him. “He doesn’t belong here. We can–,”

“Omegas aren’t allowed in the military,” Mike said. “You would be condemning him–,”

“Then we’ll do something else,” Erwin said, turning to face Levi once more. “What about we bring him back as a trophy? They won’t take him away if we stake a claim.”

“Omegas can’t be communal property either, Erwin,” Mike said, clearly running out of patience and arguments. Erwin glanced back at Levi, his hold on his wrist not waning for one moment.

“Then _I_ will be the one to take him back.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot! New chapter! Thank you to all my dear readers for being so amazing!

Waking up in an unfamiliar place was just that – unfamiliar – to Levi. Ever since Kenny had handed him over to the Omega House in the Underground, he had always had just one place to sleep in. Well, two, really. At first, it had been the basement, together with the other Omega boys; huddled underneath a filthy blanket that was circulated on a nightly basis (the handler had enforced that rule, making sure the boys obeyed since they had been quite mean to each other, always struggling to stay healthy and fresh to entice better, bigger clients), and then in his own little room after the handler had discovered just how good Levi was at whoring himself out. Levi had not seen any shame in it. Survival was the most important thing to him – and whether it was by fighting, fleeing or spreading his legs, he would reach the ultimate goal of living.

His eyes opened and light flooded in. Unusually bright light. It took him a moment to realize where he was. Then he sat up, ignoring the ache in his bones, and stared at the window, his eyes struggling to adjust to the brightness. He gripped the soft sheets beneath him and pulled, wrapping them around his naked shoulders as he went towards the window to look outside. Outside and up.

It was the sun. So that was what it was like. Levi had tried to imagine it so many times, he had asked his clients to tell him about it – and they had all laughed the request off as whimsical pillow talk, sharing almost nothing. Levi understood now why that had been the case: the sun couldn’t be described with words, it had to be experienced. It had to be looked at – and it was just ironical enough for him to chuckle that nobody could really look at the sun for a long time. Especially urchins from the Underground who had no tolerance for such luminosity.

His gaze shifted to take in the rest of the sky. It was blue. A blue they didn’t have back where he came from. Clear. White clouds, shaped like things Levi’s imagination struggled to identify.

He glanced down. Green. Grass. He’d seen grass before: damp, brownish, rotting grass underneath the only hole the Underground had, which served as an outlet into the real world. Before he had become a hostage at the Omega House, he had come there, to sit in the damp grass and look up, pretending he could see the blue above.

Tress. Big-ass trees. He’s seen pictures of them before but he hadn’t imagined them to be quite this tall. Taller than him. Some three times his size. He couldn’t distinguish the details, but he was quite sure that there were different kinds of trees.

He looked up a little. In the distance, he saw it. Grey and imposing. The Wall.

“Looks like you’re ready to explore.”

He turned sharply, stumbling over the sheets that trailed behind him.

“Oh. You’re here.”

Erwin Smith laughed, his voice just as rich as it had been in the Underground. He sat perched at a huge wooden desk piled high with documents. It looked like he had been working on something before, but had chosen to pause and observe Levi instead when the boy had woken up.

“Where else would I be?” He asked, cocking his head to the side. Levi fought the urge to do the same, mimicking the man in exposing his neck. Goddess, what was _up_ wit Erwin Smith and that _face_ of his? That _smell_ of his? Levi could barely breathe in without tumbling down to the ground, weak at the knees. The powerful Alpha was perfectly dressed in his Survey Corps uniform, hair slicked just the right way to accentuate his cheekbones. Levi wanted to kiss those cheekbones and slide all the way down to capture the mouth that had set him free. “These _are_ my quarters, you know.”

Levi’s eyebrows shot up. “Why am I in your quarters?”

Erwin smiled pleasantly. “Take a seat.”

Levi’s legs obeyed before his rational mind caught up as he sat back down onto the large bed. Erwin Smith’s bed, he realized. He suddenly wanted to bury his face in the pillows. _No, bad,_ he told himself, pulling the sheets closer to his body to cover himself.

“Good boy.” This time, Levi was in control of his faculties as he sneered at the man. Who did he think he was? “I’m sure you’re full of questions.”

_I’d rather be full of your cock._

“Uh… yes,” Levi said. “Care to explain all this to me? How did I… even end up here?”

His memory was fuzzy as hell. He must have passed out right after speaking with Erwin and Mike in the decrepit Omega House. That must have been embarrassing. Perhaps Erwin had even been forced to carry his unconscious form all the way up the stairs. Or maybe he’d flown him up using his Maneuver Gear. Levi had heard of the contraption before, but he had no idea what it looked like. His gaze slid over Erwin’s form again and he noted the straps that snaked all over his body, biting into the perfectly pressed uniform. Perhaps they had something to do with it.

He wondered briefly how long it would take him to undo all those clasps and expose Erwin for his own viewing pleasure.

“You must have been exhausted from the stress or… other activities,” Erwin said, and Levi hated the way his cheeks flooded with heat. Erwin knew exactly what kind of activities he had engaged in down there. “In any case, you sort of… fainted. It was very dignified, I assure you.”

“Right,” Levi said testily. “And then you carried me here like a damsel in distress?”

“Actually, I had Mike carry you. I had my hands full with other things, like the stolen objects the thieves from your House had taken,” Erwin said pleasantly. Levi wanted to throw something at him. Fucking beautiful bastard.

“So what? Now I’m here. What happens to me next?”

Levi only vaguely knew of what Omegas did aboveground. He knew that most of them were married off to rich people and never got to see the light of day (although he’d envied them to a degree, considering they did see much more of it than he had). Some of them were _escorts_ , classy hookers hired out to classy people. The only difference between him and any Omega aboveground was that prostitution was technically illegal here. Except he doubted there was little a self-conscious Omega whore wouldn’t do for a bit of extra cash.

“That depends on what you decide, Levi,” Erwin said. Levi found that his name sounded twice as nice as it normally did when the man said it.

“You’re giving me a choice? That’s a new development,” Levi said defensively, making Erwin chuckle again. Him and his little chuckles. He sounded like he knew everything Levi was thinking. It infuriated and turned Levi on at the same time; thus it was twice as frustrating when he was supposed to be focusing on the conversation at hand.

“I do believe that Omegas are people just like the rest of are,” Erwin said, his voice sounding firm for the first time since he’d begun speaking. Levi’s eyes widened a fraction. “I do realize that you are not used to being treated… equally.”

“So what am I?” Levi asked. “A charity case?”

“Not exactly, although if you prefer to think of it that way, I cannot stop you. Nor would I encourage it. You’re free to choose.”

_Free to choose._

“Are you shitting me right now?” Levi asked, making Erwin’s smile wider.

“You have quite a mouth on you when you’re awake.”

“Don’t you–,”

Erwin put up a hand. “I am offering you a choice. And a chance.”

“A chance at what, exactly?”

“What you always wanted to do. Live aboveground.”

Levi huffed. “How the fuck would you know anything about what I want?”

“Simple. It’s all any Undergrounder wants.”

Levi’s hands tightened into fists and he looked up at Erwin defiantly. “What is this chance? Do I get on my knees now or later.”

“Never, if you prefer not to.”

“What the hell do you want from me, then?” Levi asked, growing wearier of Erwin by the second. “I have nothing to offer but my body. You now that.”

“I don’t believe that is entirely true. You have something else that is far, far more interesting to me than your body.”

 _So he’s not interested. There. Now stop drooling over him and listen, damn it,_ Levi said to himself. He felt slightly hurt by the fact that Erwin wasn’t itching to jump his bones. For all he knew, the man was committed to someone else. He inspected Erwin’s neck, finding satisfaction in failing to locate a bonding bite. So not seriously committed, at least.

“What’s that, captain?” He asked.

“Squad Leader,” Erwin corrected him. “Soon-to-be Commander, actually, if all goes well.”

 _Commander, huh?_ “Isn’t that the highest rank there is?”

“Yes.”

“Well, fuck me,” Levi breathed. Erwin’s laugher rang like a bell. A very big fucking bell.

“Believe me, Levi, that would only happen with your consent.”

“Are you this liberal with every deadbeat Omega that comes your way or am I an exception?” Levi asked irritably. Erwin shrugged, the motion making him look somewhat more human. Levi latched on to that, memorizing it. He needed a reminder that this man was just a man. He was brighter than that fucking sun.

“I wouldn’t know. You are the first,” Erwin said, leaning back in his chair, looking completely relaxed. Levi found himself tightening up instead. Erwin’s comfortable posture set his teeth on edge.

“I feel very special.”

“You are special, Levi,” Erwin said. “You just don’t realize it yet.”

Levi gave him a skeptical look in response.

“So, to business,” Erwin said, changing his tone immediately. He glanced over Levi’s form and frowned. “We’ll need to get you bathed and fed, obviously, before any of this can happen.”

_Thank you for implying I’m a filthy, skinny kid. As if I didn’t know that already._

“I want you to bond with me.”

“What?” The word was out of Levi’s mouth before he could stop it. He looked at Erwin with wide eyes, his heart beating way too fast to be healthy.

“Bond with me.”

“Is this a joke?”

“Levi, I assure you that I would never joke about such matters,” Erwin replied, his face completely open and blank. Levi loathed the fact that he couldn’t read him. “Now see, the Survey Corps has hit some hard times lately. We’re not getting funding to go on our missions–,”

“–suicide missions,” Levi breathed. Erwin gave him a reproachful look.

“Yes, our missions,” he said, clearing his throat. “I suspect that someone in the Military and the Government is plotting against us, making our funds scarce and our support weak. Most people dislike the fact that they apparently pay taxes just to feed soldiers who will die anyway and yield no results.”

“Where’s the lie?” Levi muttered under his breath. Erwin laughed.

“It’s this type of thinking that I am interested in changing. But I need to get to the source first. Find the root of the problem and cut it while it hasn’t taken yet, so to speak.”

“And I’m supposed to bond with you because…?”

“Because Omega wives are privy to a lot of extra information that bypasses formal talk.”

“Gossip.”

“Exactly,” Erwin confirmed. Levi looked at him for a long moment.

“You want to make me your wife so I can spy for you?”

“This is why you’re special. You’re very smart.”

“Doesn’t take a genius to figure this one out,” Levi said. Erwin smiled at him.

“It does take one to see it through.”

“You would bond with someone you barely know for life just because you want a spy at dinner parties,” Levi concluded.

“Precisely.”

“You’re insane.”

Erwin laughed in earnest now. “People have told me that.”

“So what? I would be your little Omega wife, report back to you and… what?” Levi asked. He couldn’t believe he was actually asking for more details. It was insane to even consider it.

“And I will take care of you,” Erwin said. “Anything you need.”

“Anything?” Levi asked, his mind straying southward.

“Anything,” Erwin confirmed.

“You really do care a lot about the Survey Corps.”

“Too much, or so I have been told.”

Levi was supposed to be mad that Erwin was intending on using him like this. But all he felt was genuine interest. He wanted to see what made this man tick.

“Bonding requires sex.”

“I told you, you don’t have to agree.”

“What if I say no?” Levi asked defiantly. “What if I walk out?”

“Then you walk out. Though you do not have formal citizenship out here yet, so getting caught would only be a matter of time.”

“Are you blackmailing me?”

“Just warning you,” Erwin said. Levi realized that the man was in this to win. He missed the moment when Erwin had stood up and rounded his table, leaning over his form on the bed. He felt Erwin’s scent become stronger, and leaned back immediately to avoid getting ensnared by it yet again.

“Something tells me, though, that you will not find it hard to say yes.”

Grey met blue. “Why’s that?”

Within second, Levi was alone in the room. The only thing Erwin left behind was that tantalizing smell and a brush of his lips over the top of Levi’s head that left the boy breathless.

“Your scent gives you away.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter of An Omega's Life! Inspired by the feels I went through after marathoning and finishing all of KNB. God, I love those dorks.

It was this way that Levi ended up standing in his dressing room, trembling from head to toe. He felt like his entire body had been submerged underwater and pulled forcibly into the cold winter – just like the ones he had experienced back in the Underground. The clothes on his skin felt foreign: they were too soft, too nice to the touch, completely unlike the clothes he was used to wearing – when he _had_ worn clothes, that was. His handler hadn’t cared much for niceties when it came to his pets and he had provided them with the bare minimum they had required to survive in the unforgiving chilliness beneath the earth of Sina.

It was springtime now, though: the perfect season for a wedding. The wedding of a recently-appointed Commander of the Survey Corps, an Alpha over all Alphas, Erwin Smith and an Omega nobody had ever heard of before this event. Levi was well aware of the rumors that were spreading like wildfire: that Erwin had actually gone to a Mating House and purchased him, that Levi was a well-bred son of a prominent Omega-prone family. All of those were untrue, of course: as far as he knew, nobody understood the real extent of his debt to Erwin. Still, word would definitely get out at some point – rumors had a tendency to mutate into a warped version of the truth even when their roots lay in complete fiction.

“You look adorable!”

Levi sighed, turning around to face the person who had just entered the room. Perhaps one of the most untraditional soldiers in the military – save for the Survey Corps, since Levi was of a firm belief that the entire regiment was crazy – Hanji Zoë remained a mystery to him. Somehow, they had managed to get under his skin, though, and he was sometimes relieved to see them lurking in the shadows while the rest of the Survey Corps soldiers stared him down for no particular reason. He had received a pretty lukewarm welcome from Erwin’s people, considering the fact that he was a _distraction_ , according to them. Erwin Smith was a Commander now, and he was supposed to stay focused on the mission of saving Humanity from the Titans that loomed beyond the Walls outside. He wasn’t supposed to be fucking a pretty Omega and filling him with babies for his own amusement and relaxation.

But Hanji was different. First of all, they were the only one besides Mike who knew where Levi had come from – they had managed to wheedle that information out of an unsuspecting Erwin; which had led Levi to believe that they had quite a good head on their shoulders, if they had been able to fool the Commander himself. Not that Levi considered Erwin Smith the epitome of intelligence: he hardly knew the man. Over the past couple of weeks while everyone had been bustling to prepare for Erwin and his nuptials, he had barely had any contact with his groom. Erwin had been buried in planning and paperwork ever since his appointment as Commander, and though their marriage was completely fictitious and Levi appreciated the amount of work Erwin had to do, he couldn't help but feel a little… neglected.

Thanks to Hanji and their knack for chemistry, he had managed to stave off his Heat using tinctures and various herbs (whose origins remained unknown and for good reason, he speculated). But he knew that their marriage would have to be consummated on the very same day – as per tradition, there would be healers and chaperones waiting outside their door to check whether Levi had been properly deflowered. Naturally, they had no idea that Levi didn’t require any deflowering at this point in life – however, there was no way of checking for virginity, for while the Omega was very grateful, for their plan would be exposed immediately considering how many people had had him since his first Heat.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, sliding his gaze over Hanji’s uniform-clad body. Hanji was a Beta, a pretty strong one at that, but Betas had the welcome characteristic of being non-threatening and somewhat mild compared to their stronger Alpha brethren. On a biological level, Levi felt like he could trust Hanji with certain things, thoughts, even memories of his time in the Underground, perhaps. He had never trusted anyone like this; for he hadn’t had friends at the Omega House – it had been every boy for himself back there. Needless to say, he was still weary of people.

“No, seriously, look at yourself,” Hanji said, striding over and dragging Levi towards the mirror. His grey eyes slanted over his wedding gown. It really did make him look much better than he actually was. Though Erwin had ordered him to be fed well to restore his natural physique, Levi was still skinnier than the average man of his age, and definitely smaller than even the average Omega. It frustrated him, since he knew that being small was immediately perceived as weakness. “You are radiant, m’darling.”

Levi shuddered. “Could you not call me that? It’s strange.”

“What’s strange? Can I not be excited for a friend’s wedding day?” Hanji asked, pretending to be scandalized. Levi’s eyebrows went up.

“A friend?”

Hanji stopped short before cuffing him over the head. “Of course we’re friends. And don’t you ever think otherwise, you hear me?”

Levi could do nothing but nod numbly. “I suppose I don’t know what to say to that because that would make you my first friend.”

Hanji looked like they might cry so he turned back to the mirror. “This is not something I’m used to. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a room so filled with people. How many are attending, anyway?”

“About a thousand, give or take,” Hanji said casually, which made the pit of his stomach drop. “But don’t worry, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Military officials, important citizens, Sina elites… nothing new.”

“I suppose not. Although the last time I made contact with all of those, I was naked and it was a one-on-one meeting,” Levi said quietly. “What if they recognize me?”

“So what?” Hanji shrugged. “The important part is the marriage bit. As soon as you’re married to the Commander, you’re immune to anything, really. Nobody has the right to touch a military Commander’s Omega, you know that.”

_I am property._

“I suppose I don’t have it in me to be overly optimistic about this,” Levi sighed. “Good things don’t usually happen to me.”

“That _used_ to be the case. But you’re one of us now!” Hanji said, clapping their hands together.

“I’m not one of you,” Levi denied. He could never be. He was a lowly Omega from the Underground, a crusty whore with a past that would make the powdered wigs in Sina shrivel up in disgust. He was nothing like the men and women who died fighting for the sake of Humanity’s future.

Hanji looked at him strangely. “You don’t seem to realize how important you’re going to be to us.”

“Enlighten me, then.”

The Beta sighed. “Look, Erwin is not the marrying kind.”

“I kind of gathered,” Levi said bitterly. “We’ve barely seen each other all this time, so I do believe I have reason enough to think that he isn’t exactly a cuddly husband type.”

Hanji gave him a _look_ and he put his hands up in defense.

“Erwin is working really hard to turn things around for the Survey Corps. The bigwigs in Sina don’t want to give up their money for our sakes because they think it’s a waste… and possibly for other reasons that lie much deeper than just petty meanness. There is something there, some sort of… plan, way of thinking… whatever it is, it’s hindering us. We can’t find that out by traditional means.”

“I know all that. I’m supposed to play the gossiping lady Smith and discover Sina’s dirty secrets,” Levi muttered bitterly, hating the way the fabric of his gown seemed to sparkle in the sunlight that poured in through the windows. His face had been powdered perfectly with makeup and his hair styled and adorned with a veil – a symbol of _purity_ , of all things. He wanted to rip the stupid piece of cloth off and feed it to whomever had come up with this idea in the first place.

“And by doing this, you will save countless lives.”

“But you’re out there, you’re actually _doing_ something–,”

“Would you rather be out there?” Hanji asked quietly, making him stop. He looked at them with wide eyes.

“Out… where?” He asked dumbly. It was unthinkable.

“Out there _fighting_. As a soldier.”

“I’m an Omega.”

“If that were irrelevant?” Hanji offered. Something crumbled within Levi’s chest and his knees felt weak again. His eyes searched Hanji’s smirking face and he nodded fervently before he could stop himself.

“Yes. Goddess, yes. I would… I want to see the world. I have spent all my life confined to the Underground, and I don’t care if I _suck_ at being a soldier, I would… I would bleed myself to death in training if needs be,” he confessed, looking down at his shoes that shimmered with encrusted stones. How silly.

Hanji hummed thoughtfully. “You know, Erwin’s been making some pretty radical changes–,”

“Please don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t give me false hope.” Levi glanced at Hanji. “If there is something I can do, it’s this. Don’t tell me about a future I can never have because I was born with the wrong parts.”

“Hey, so was I, and yet… I managed,” Hanji half-joked. Levi gave them a skeptical look.

“You’re a Beta. Pardon my saying so, but society doesn’t usually give a shit about Betas.”

“Ouch, Levi, you wound me.”

“Believe what you may, but you know our situations are quite different. Legally and biologically speaking.”

Hanji was about to say something when a knock on the door interrupted them. The door opened to reveal Mike in his parade uniform, as he would be acting as Erwin’s best man and doing a second duty of walking Levi down the isle – since he had no parents to take care of that. Levi still found the man intimidating and strange at times, but he had managed to warm up to him, ever so slightly. Mike was also uncomfortable with him, so it was all good. It would be awkward for both, then.

“It’s time.”

* * *

Erwin Smith, the Thirteenth Commander of the Survey Corps and Alpha above all, looked fucking stunning because, well, he always did. His uniform was crisp and clean, and his traditional bolo tie had been shined to the edge of reason. His face was unreadable even as Mike and Levi approached to the sound of fanfares, and his hands remained soft and warm, without a hint of moisture, as he took his future wife’s hands and recited his vows.

“I, Erwin Smith, do pledge to be your Bonded Alpha, to love you and cherish you to the best of my abilities and to give you offspring-,” Levi winced, “-that will stand above all in honor and grace.”

Levi cleared his throat nervously, knowing that the entire hall was watching him and listening for any hint of uncertainty to speculate on as he spoke. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction, though. He had realized that this was far more than what he could have hoped for back in the Underground. He was going to be married into the elite. He was going to become an Omega wife to one of the most powerful men within the Walls. Which meant that he had to behave appropriately.

“I, Levi, do strip myself of my family name and merge with yours, pledging to become your Bonded Omega, to love and cherish you above all and to…” He saw Erwin’s face soften for a moment, or at least, he _thought_ he did. “To give you beautiful and strong offspring to carry on the name of your noble house.”

The Wallist minister nodded approvingly and rose his hands in prayer.

“Let us all play witness to this union in the eyes of the three Goddesses: Maria, Rose, and Sina,” he declared. “I present to you Erwin and Levi of the house of Smith!”

The two of them turned around to face the public as applause rang out, slightly strained, but _there_ nonetheless. People were actually celebrating their union. Levi couldn’t help but smile softly to himself. The ceremony was over. Before he could take a step towards the people, though, as he knew that they were supposed to walk back down the aisle in some sort of celebratory round, he was tugged close to Erwin’s chest and felt the man’s hot breath wash over his face as the blond leaned in.

“Just follow my lead,” Erwin whispered, before his lips covered Levi’s in a sound kiss that left most of the crowd in attendance indignant. Such audacity was unheard of.

Levi knew that he couldn’t struggle against it, for it would look strange since they were supposed to be _in love_ and all, but his muscles couldn’t help but tense as Erwin explored his mouth in a heated lip-lock. He closed his eyes instinctively, and went meek in Erwin’s arms, hoping that it would be over soon.

He couldn’t believe that he had shared his first kiss in front of a thousand people.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, finally, another chapter! Sorry guys, senior year in college, finals, you know how it goes! It's over, though, so now I can focus on this!

For the rest of the evening, Levi just found himself dumbfounded by every single thing that happened to him. He felt like the village idiot, every interaction he had with the people living aboveground seemed so strange to him, every little bit of food exploded with taste in his mouth, the alcohol was magical compared to the will he had been given by the patrons in the Underground, and overall… he just felt like he did not belong in this place. However hard he tried to hide behind Erwin’s large frame, he realized that it was futile sometime halfway though the evening as the Commander purposefully introduced him to the men and women of the court and military. The first time, Levi attempted to resist, however, Erwin’s words immediately jarred him out of that stupor: _remember what your job is._

That was when it hit home. The fact that he had de facto married into employment. He was going to be Erwin’s eyes and ears in the gossipy surroundings of the court of Sina, and that was his key to staying fed and sated. Comfortable. Except he was anything but when it came to standing side by side with the man who had dragged him out from hell. Erwin was too bright, everything about him was too outstanding, and Levi couldn’t help but think that a man such as himself would be better off with an Omega who had been properly trained to shine.

He saw those Omegas at the ball. Unhappy little creatures, but so mesmerizing. They fluttered about, doting on their Alphas, offering them bits of finger foods from their hands, smiling and chatting away in light voices as if there was no concern in the world that could touch them. Some of them had swollen, rounded bellies which they patted fondly whenever someone inquired politely about the status of their family life. It was common sense here, in this strange world, to immediately start questioning an Omega about their personal life – how was their pregnancy going, how were they holding up with the hormonal imbalances, whether they wished for their child to be an Alpha or an Omega or a Beta. And the answers were all the same, issues with the precision of a clock: _I am doing well, my Alpha takes such good care of the baby and I. Why, of course we want it to be an Alpha! A big, strong Alpha, just like their father!_ It made Levi feel slightly sick to the stomach. He would be in their place someday. There was no way Erwin and him could keep up this pretense without placing a child into his belly.

“You are far too tense, my darling,” Erwin said quietly to him, using the endearment just in case someone overheard their conversation. Levi glanced at him, nodding.

“I apologize… my love. It seems I am not used to being around so many fine people,” he said quietly, his eyes downcast, as he had seen the other Omegas do in order to please their Alphas. He was surprised to feel a finger beneath his chin. His grey eyes met Erwin’s blue and his breath was taken away for a moment.

“You are one of them now, dear,” Erwin said, his eyes searching Levi’s face for any sign of weakness. “You must remember that.”

Levi didn’t miss the _or else_ at the end of that sentence. He nodded again, his hands folded neatly in his lap. He remembered how the Underground treated their unbonded Omegas. He did not want to go back there.

“Yes, love… I shall,” he said, trying to sound a little more confident. Erwin squeezed his hand before letting go and returning to his meal and conversation with the Commander of the entire Military, Zacharius or Zackery or whatever his name was. Levi was forced to either stare at his plate or strike up an interaction with the man’s wife, a beautiful Omega by the name of Eren, who was demure and quiet and just _perfect_ , something which irritated Levi quite a bit.

“You do not have to speak with me if you do not want to,” the Omega said quietly, looking at Levi with his sincere green eyes that reminded Levi of the moss that had grown on the ceiling of his humble abode in the Underground.

“I have nothing else to do,” he admitted in a hushed voice, and saw that a small smile tugged at the Omega’s mouth.

“You are new to this world, aren’t you, Omega Smith?” Eren asked, and Levi nearly cringed at his new title. Yes, that was him. He was going to be Omega Smith for the rest of his life, every single trace of his identity converted into what he was for Erwin: a baby maker and a wife. That was his new function. At least, that was the way it appeared to the rest of the world, besides Erwin and himself and a bunch of trusted people in the Survey Corps. He knew that he would eventually have to make piece with that. Still, he wasn’t sure how to go about internalizing the fact that he was married. To someone who didn't want to be married and who had only proposed due to convenience. Not that Levi was any different, really.

He glanced at Erwin. He was pretty sure that he didn't love the man. He was just… attracted to him, wildly so. Erwin’s scent was potent, and it was definitely compatible with Levi’s own. However, he would not know the true extent of their potential together until the wedding night; which was going to happen regardless of whether they wanted it to or not. The bonding bites had to be placed on their necks by next morning or the entire ceremony would be deemed void. Levi couldn’t afford that to happen. He also kind of looked forward to sampling what Erwin had to offer. If the kiss was any indication, the man was quite apt in the matters of the bedroom.

“I am, Omega Zackley.” _That’s his name. Right. Fuck, I can do this,_ Levi thought to himself, a little triumphant. “I am afraid my parents passed away before I got any formal education on the matters of etiquette.”

“Interesting,” Eren said, cocking his lovely head to the side as he inspected Levi. “How is it that you met the Commander Alpha Smith, then?”

Levi bit his lip. It was time to remember the careful lie they had structured together.

“There was a contract that I had not been aware of before my sixteenth birthday, it was left in the care of my governors,” he said, reciting the story that Hanji had drilled into his head for days on end before. Eren seemed satisfied with that.

“I was married due to contract as well,” he said, glancing at his husband fondly. “I cannot say that it was not beneficial to me, however. My Alpha is a great man.”

 _Greatly corrupt, you mean,_ Levi thought, but said nothing, only inclining his head in polite acceptance of the man’s declaration. “How long have you been together?”

“Six years,” Eren said, smiling nostalgically. “I was given to him when I was fourteen. We had our first the next summer. It was quite rapid, I have to say, but… I cannot regret it. He gives me everything I want, and I give him the heirs that he needs to keep the military running smoothly.”

Levi glanced at Eren’s slightly swollen stomach. “This one?”

“Our fourth,” the other Omega replied, stroking his stomach with one hand as the other reached for a chicken leg deftly. Levi’s eyes widened, and he laughed at the newlywed’s reception of the news. “Oh, don’t you worry. It is only my dear Alpha who requires so many heirs. I am sure that Commander Alpha Smith would be satisfied with one or two… perhaps three at the utmost. He is a busy man, after all… and not much for sentiment.”

Levi’s eyes narrowed. “You speak as if you know him well.”

Eren sighed. “I have seen enough of him over the years to be sure that he is not as simple as the rest of the military men here. He is quite… complex. Doesn’t speak much to anyone else if he can avoid it.”

Levi nodded. “He is private, but that does not mean–,”

“No, of course not,” Eren said lightly. “I did not mean to offend you or your future family. Just… his heart has never been touched before, and I find it curious as to what he discovered in you that made him change his mind about marriage. You see, Commander Alpha Smith is not much of a traditionalist… he had some strong words to say about the way our world functioned a couple of times before. He had been against my Alpha taking me as well. He said I was too young.”

“Perhaps you were?” Levi suggested, not really knowing.

Eren laughed. “Nonsense! I was the oldest of any unbonded Omegas I knew. It was a shame. Some people thought me defective because of my temperament… but my Alpha saw me for what I really was.”

 _You poor unloved child_.

“My father is a renowned doctor, and it unseemly that his only son, his only Omega son, was undesirable, so he immediately agreed to the contract,” Eren said. “The only person against our union was my half-sister, Mikasa, she is an Alpha in the Survey Corps as well, lower ranking for now, of course, since she is young and unmated, however… it was her word against my Alpha’s.”

Levi noted how reverently Eren seemed to refer to his husband – _my Alpha_ – in a breathy voice that spoke of high regard and perhaps a smidgeon of fear. This was the way Omegas were supposed to speak of their bonded, and Levi would have to learn to adopt this manner of speaking before he interacted with others. Eren seemed to understand where he was coming from, however, and Levi couldn't help but feel relieved.

“Are you happy?” Levi asked, unable to stop himself. Eren looked at him as if he were insane.

“Happy?” He repeated with a merry laugh, something that Levi himself had used many times when he had brushed off his patrons’ rare concerns over having been too rough, whenever the Alphas had felt _benevolent_ towards the whore they had hired for the night. “Happiness is a very relative matter, Omega Smith.”

“Please…” Levi breathed. “Call me Levi. I cannot… this is still too new for me.”

“But that would be inappropriate,” Eren said, immediately turning his gaze down to the table. “That would mean disrespect for your Alpha, Omega Smith. I am afraid–,”

“Yes, you cannot do that. Sorry. I will not… ask this of you again,” Levi said quickly. Eren gave him a thankful little smile that told Levi way too much about the way things worked between Zackley and him.

“My children are my happiness,” Eren said finally. “My marriage to my Alpha is a means for them to come into this world. Which means that it is a way towards my happiness. Is that an acceptable answer to you?”

“I am not of liberty to judge,” Levi said quietly. Eren smiled at him.

“You learn fast, Omega Smith.”

It was then that Erwin turned back towards Levi and offered him his hand, standing. “I do believe it is growing quite late. We should be retiring.”

Levi glanced at the offered hand and took it, standing as well. A hush fell over the table as Erwin cleared his throat. “Dear guests, thank you all for coming. I do believe that your presence has made this night even more extraordinary than it is to me.”

Levi resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the smooth lie that rolled off the Commander’s tongue like honey, sinking into the ears of those in attendance. A couple of Omegas blushed at the words, and he felt a rise of possessiveness at his throat. _Mine now. Missed your chance._

“My Omega and I shall retire,” Erwin declared, and without further ado, tugged on Levi’s hand to lead him out of the room to the applause of the rest of the guests. The door closed behind him and Levi made to drop his hand, however, Erwin hung on tight.

“You do not forget that we are to be supervised at the door of our marital quarters, my darling,” he said firmly. Levi took a deep breath. How could he forget. There were guards that would stand outside of their rooms all night to make sure that they did what they were supposed to do.  The same people who would verify their bonding bites in the morning.

“Of course,” he said quietly, looking down at his feet. Erwin steered him towards his quarters and kissed him again right in front of the three Betas standing vigil there, just to drive the message home. Levi felt himself tense up a little, and he thought he heard a disapproving tut from one of the robed men, forcing himself to relax.

This was happening.

The door opened and closed behind them with a definitive thud.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know... But I was busy, I promise! A very Merry belated Christmas to everyone!
> 
> The wonderful porny art for this chapter was provided by the lovely [Dauinsaru](http://darwinthemonkey-art.tumblr.com). I am absolutely in love with their work!

They were alone in the room. For the first time since forever, they were alone together and suddenly Levi found himself wishing that he had appreciated the company of other people more – Erwin’s presence by his side was daunting and slightly intimidating. The heaviness of what they were about to do burdened Levi almost physically, and as a large hand settled on the lower part of his back and gently led him inside the Commander’s quarters, he wanted to do something incredibly childish and hide under the table. Or jump out the window.

“You’re very tense, Levi,” Erwin chastised as he finally let go of him and walked further into the room to shrug off his parade uniform jacket. He hanged it up in the wardrobe, half of which, Levi noticed, was suspiciously empty – waiting for his own stuff to fill it up. Stuff that Erwin would have to buy for him since he had nothing of his own besides his ass.

“I can’t help it,” Levi mumbled. “Forgive me if I’m still not over the fact that I’m married and about to be bonded to the Commander of the fucking Survey Corps.”

“Levi.” Erwin sighed, turning around to look at him. “In here, I am–,”

“Don’t give me that bullshit,” Levi said sharply, cutting the man off before he was able to finish that sentence. “You are always the Commander, Erwin, be it in here or out there. You being the Commander is the reason why you wanted to get hitched in the first place. So spare me the sentiments.”

Erwin gave his new wife a wry smile. “You do suffer from realism.”

“I’m a whore,” Levi said plainly by ways of an explanation.

“You _used_ to be a whore,” Erwin replied as he sat down on the edge of his desk and folded his arms in front of his chest.

“Once a whore, always a whore,” Levi countered, spreading his arms open in a gesture that looked more defensive than inviting. “All of this is payment for my comfort, isn’t it? So don't cheapen me by saying that I’m doing this for the sake of some greater goal. That’s your thing. I’m more into the tit for tat part of the deal.”

“You seem to think that the entire world functions like that,” Erwin said, cocking his head to the side.

“Doesn’t it?”

The blond sighed and stood, making Levi take an involuntary step back.

“You’re scared of me.”

Levi glanced at him defiantly. “You’re not exactly non-threatening.”

“Good. I like to think that I am more intimidating than I let on,” Erwin said with a small grin that made him look boyishly handsome – and made Levi feel weak at the knees. “Being the good guy is difficult sometimes.”

“Well, if there’s anything I can offer you, it’s honesty,” Levi said. “You’ve given me that much courtesy, I might as well return the favor.”

Erwin shook his head in a gesture that seemed almost fond. “You are definitely the most honest person that I have ever met.”

“Which is why you chose me for the biggest lie of your life?” Levi asked. “The people out there really do think that we married for love. They _envy_ us because of that. What kind of person would lie to hundreds of those bastards who only bonded because of their social position? You’re a cruel man, Erwin Smith.”

“Honest.”

“Sometimes the distinction is very subtle.”

“Sometimes there is none.”

They looked at each other before Levi lowered his gaze first – he knew that despite all this being a ruse he had to act the part, he was expected to be Erwin Smith’s Omega, and that he would be. “I guess we should get this show started. Wouldn’t want our _chaperones_ to get impatient.”

Erwin lifted an eyebrow. “You seem almost eager.”

“Sex is what I do,” Levi said. “Did. No, actually, I still do. Whatever. I’m good at it and I like it, most of the time.”

The Alpha shrugged. “I suppose I got a good deal with you, then.”

_You’re such a fucking asshole,_ Levi thought as he approached the man who leaned against the desk casually, blue eyes unreadable. He placed a hand on Erwin’s shirt-clad chest and looked up. _Fuck you for being so tall, Alpha Smith._

“I was the highest paid whore in the Omega House before you came and destroyed it,” Levi said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Did you kiss on the mouth?” Erwin asked, ignoring the jibe. Levi gave him a look and then shook his head.

“Will you now?”

“Seems silly not to,” the Omega replied. “Seeing as you just took my first kiss in front of everyone else.”

If Erwin was surprised, he didn't appear so. His expression never changed as he brought his fingers to Levi’s chin, tipping it up. The air in the room became heavy all of a sudden, the kind of heavy that Levi had used to be able to control but that now made him feel very strange indeed – almost as if he were about to drown in the warmth and thickness of it all.

“I didn’t think you would be sentimental about something that trivial,” Erwin said, not very kindly. Levi narrowed his eyes.

“I am not.”

“Prove it, then.”

Levi lunged at Erwin’s mouth, feeling even more out of his depth as he realized somewhere halfway that he had no idea how kissing worked in practice. Theoretically, yes, he knew, and he had seen it thousands of times before; but practically… he had never so much as pecked anyone on the mouth – and Erwin had made his toes curl during the ceremony. Which meant that Levi would have to work very hard indeed not to disappoint. Disappointing his bedmates had always been absolutely out of the question. He had too much pride for that – both as a man and as a whore. If people were paying relatively good money, they would receive their money’s worth, of course. It was only natural. Tit for tat.

Erwin’s hands immediately went to the opening of Levi’s white sheer robe. The Commander knew exactly what he was doing as his fingers skimmed into the V-shaped neckline and brushed against Levi’s sensitive nipples. The Omega groaned, leaning into the sensual touch, and then ripped himself away from Erwin’s lips, his eyes alight with a challenge.

“Looks like _someone_ is eager,” he commented.

“I don't deny that,” Erwin replied with a deadpan expression on his face. “You _are_ quite attractive, after all. And given your history, I know that you have a way with another man’s body.”

Levi lifted a saucy eyebrow. “You’re saying you were practical when you selected a whore for marriage?”

“ _Former_ whore,” Erwin corrected again, and Levi huffed exasperatedly.

“You know it is to your benefit that I am a whore even now,” he purred. Erwin glanced at him wistfully before grabbing him by the wrist and flinging him to the bed. Levi let out a yelp of surprise when he found himself flat on his back with Erwin’s face looming just mere inches above his own.

“Tell me, then, what did you do for the men who came down to the Underground for fun?” The blond asked, his voice low and dark, just like Levi remembered it being from the time they had met. It had been that voice which had been the first step towards his agonizing attraction, after all. The Omega grinned broadly before hooking his heel around the back of Erwin’s thighs and using the leverage to flip them over, laughing as he went.

“You’re getting a freebie, that’s what this is all about, isn’t it?” He asked, sitting down on top of Erwin. Even though they were practically strangers and the Commander had more or less blackmailed him into agreeing to this marriage, he felt like the sex would definitely not be a problem between the two of them. No love, no bullshit, just pure physical attraction and biological drive. He could definitely do monogamy if it meant that Erwin was up for it as well.

Erwin was quite surprised by Levi’s strength, but his face softened as he touched the exposed skin of the Omega’s clavicle.

“Time were, I would have paid a million to sleep with someone like you,” he murmured. Levi suddenly felt like they were entering forbidden territory – too much intimacy, too much insight.

He shook his head. “Now who’s being a sentimental idiot?”

Erwin lifted an eyebrow. “You have no respect for Alpha authority, do you?”

Levi gave him a skeptical look. “I had those bastards eating out of the palm of my hand. Do you think I have any respect left?”

“I suppose not.” Erwin sighed. “Long as you keep up the show, I don’t really mind you being yourself in here.”

Levi stopped short, a little surprised. “You don’t?”

“We’re doing this for the public, anyway. In here, I don’t care if you curse at me or use… unsavory language,” Erwin replied. Levi felt his own mouth twitch into an appreciative smile.

“I can work with that.”

They fucked quickly and precisely that night – Levi was quite sure that Erwin did everything that way. Certain, direct, and fulfilling, that was Erwin Smith in a nutshell. The first time he breached Levi, the Omega let out a loud wail, not all fake, even though he was doing it for the benefit of the chaperones standing outside. He had barely stretched himself out, after all, since Erwin’s insistent lips had teased his nipples to the edge of reason.

He was becoming quite good at kissing, too – it was quite interesting to explore the various way sin which Erwin’s mouth could be sensitive. His tongue darted out to touch the blond’s just as Erwin’s cock slammed right into his sweet spot, making Levi see stars.

Erwin was a very considerate lover. Husband. Alpha. Whatever. He took care of Levi’s needs before his own, and though there was very little affection in his touch, not in the lovey-dovey sense, at least, he was gentlemanly in his own strange way. Levi knew that he had never felt this appreciated before, and he had set quite a high price for his services in the Underground, after all.

When Erwin’s knot flared inside of him, he let out another long moan, this time not fake at all. He lowered himself so that his neck was exposed and right above the Commander’s mouth, and tilted his head to the side. This was it, the moment that they had been building up towards – but it was strangely anticlimactic compared to the orgasm that he could feel approaching. In all honesty, he was very apathetic about the fact that he was about to be bonded to this man for life.

All he wanted was to come hard, and come he did.

The bite hurt, and Levi returned the favor by biting down extra hard on Erwin’s neck as well, making the man deepen his own abuse of Levi’s tender skin. Blood hit his tongue and he fought the urge to cringe, focusing instead on the feeling of Erwin getting bigger, bigger, _impossibly bigger_ inside of him. He felt something stir – something that he couldn’t quite explain in physical terms – and he knew that this was the moment their lives were sealed together.

Then, it was lost when he ripped himself out of the hold of Erwin’s jaws and arched his back wildly, coming with a triumphant holler. Erwin grunted, his fingers bruising Levi’s pale thighs, and stiffened beneath the Omega, his come spurting inside of his new husband, hot and thick and so fucking _good_ , Levi wanted to shout about it to the stars.

They came down from their high slowly as Levi slumped on top of Erwin’s chest, his eyes shutting closed. He knew they would probably be stuck together for another ten minutes or so, so he relaxed, listening to the slowing beat of Erwin’s heart.

“How was it?” The blond asked, his voice vibrating into Levi’s temple. The Omega smirked to himself.

“Passable.”

There was a pause. “Would you… do this on a regular basis?”

“I do go in heat, you know,” Levi noted. Erwin let out a sigh.

“I mean… casually.”

Levi’s eyebrows shot up as he lifted his head to look at Erwin’s unusually open face. Orgasms did wonders for a man even as shuttered as the Commander of the Survey Corps.

“Sure, why the hell not?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Thank you so much for your reviews, guys!

“So… what… is… the plan?” Erwin panted into his ear as his fingers deepened their hold on Levi’s hips, undoubtedly bruising them. The dark-haired man glanced down at him playfully before clamping down on the length inside of him and eliciting another moan from the blond Alpha. Levi wound his arms around Erwin’s neck and smirked, bringing their chests close together. He stole a kiss from Erwin’s parted lips before leaning back and continuing to move over the man’s lap, up and down, at a rhythmic pace.

Erwin had been doing his paperwork and awaiting Levi’s weekly report on the Omega gossip among the richest and most influential families within the hierarchy – and Levi had come and was now delivering it in the most unorthodox fashion. Not that the Commander complained. Ever since the two of them had been officially wed and bonded, the awkwardness between them had somewhat dissipated, allowing for a sense of light camaraderie and extreme sexual attraction. Most in the military claimed that Levi had Erwin wrapped around his little finger – and perhaps he did, in certain ways. However, that was not because the blond was head over heels in love with his new wife; it was because Levi was actually much smarter than he let on – and it helped that he was incredibly good at what had one been his way of earning a living. Erwin had discovered more things about his body in the past months than he had done before.

“Zackley… Is riding… to see… the King,” Levi panted, moving rapidly as he used his hands on Erwin’s shoulders for leverage. “Dok has… lobbied with… him… to get more funds for the MP’s…”

Erwin let out a strangled groan. “F-fuck, Levi… H-how did you…”

“Dok is very… vocal about his… schemes to his… ah! Lovely little… Omega,” Levi breathed, grinning broadly as he rocked back on forth, feeling Erwin slide in and out of his body. He was getting close and he was nowhere _near_ done with his report. They had to move things along – Erwin still had some sort of recruitment inspection in the evening.

“His… Omega? I thought he… was married to a Beta…”

“Oh, he _is_ ,” Levi said, biting his lip when Erwin struck his sweet spot in just the right way. “But he keeps… and Omega concubine… Mary’s… barren.”

Erwin’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and he momentarily lost rhythm, earning a soft slap on the shoulder from Levi. “What… who… is it…?”

“Omega by the name of… Jean,” Levi said, smirking. His legs were cramping already. “He’s… boasting about it… everything, really… very useful for… intel.”

Erwin glanced up at Levi and captured his lips in a kiss.

“So are you,” he murmured against the Omega’s open mouth. Levi responded with a moan and a spasm and then, fuck, then he came hard, shuddering in Erwin’s lap as he spilled himself, bringing his Alpha over the edge. Erwin’s hold on him tightened even more, and Levi felt his knot expand at the base. With a muffled groan that was buried in the skin of Levi’s shoulder, Erwin shuddered and then stilled, flooding Levi’s insides with hot come. It was a fucking miracle that Levi had not fallen pregnant yet, considering how many friendly fucks the two of them had exchanged in the past couple of months.

They stilled together, their breath still unsteady, as they came down from their high.

“Anything else?” Erwin asked, gulping as his eyes followed the path of a small droplet of sweat from Levi’s temple and down the side of his neck, just over the bonding bite the Alpha had bestowed upon him on the night of their wedding.  

Levi huffed. “You’re such a romantic. Isn’t this supposed to be afterglow time?”

Erwin smiled at him wryly. “It is, though.”

The Omega rolled his eyes and brought himself into a more or less comfortable position as the two of them waited to get untangled. He rested his forehead on Erwin’s shoulder and sighed contently. He really was in the best place he could be, considering his status. A _beloved_ wife of a military Commander, who had been granted citizenship within the Walls with not a single word of his origin having caught on the wind of gossip. Something told him that it was temporary bliss, but he was adamant on milking the moment for all it was worth. And for some weird reason, Erwin was the same – it seemed that he had thrown himself fully into enjoyment of Levi’s body and his services as informant. Not to mention his company: the two of them now often dined together in Erwin’s office, away from the prying eyes of the rest of the Survey Corps, and conversed over wine. Most of the talk involved Erwin explaining things to Levi about the over-ground world, while Levi told him about the various ingenious ways the people in the Underground had come up with in order to survive the brutal conditions beneath the floor of Sina.

“I think Zackley is abusing Eren,” Levi ventured quietly. This had been on his mind for a while now, but he had been quite reluctant to say anything.

“His Omega?” Erwin asked, his breathing calming. “What makes you think that?”

“It’s just… I see him often. And I’ve seen the way Omegas looked back where I came from when they were… mistreated. Hell, I was one of them as several points,” Levi said with a short sigh. “He keeps saying that he’s happy but honestly, how happy can you be when you have bruises and scratches all over your body, everywhere except for maybe the stomach?”

Erwin hummed. “It’s sickening. The way humanity treats its only means of survival.”

Levi lifted an eyebrow. “You believe that? Honestly?”

Erwin shrugged, his hands shifting to stroke the sides of Levi’s body gently. “It’s not a difficult calculation to make. The female Beta population is getting more and more barren with every generation and there is yet a cure to be found. Omegas are the only way out for us.”

Levi snorted. “Maybe they don’t want overpopulation.”

“That is why they encourage noblemen to marry Omegas and breed with them. Keep only the best genes afloat while sinking the others,” Erwin replied.

“Something tells me that was not your intention,” Levi said with a small smile. Erwin gave him a serious look that made it go away.

“I would not bring a child into a would like this. That being said, if it did… so happen that you become pregnant, I would not… do anything to prevent the birth from happening,” Erwin said. Levi was touched by the seriousness in his words. It was common knowledge that terminating a pregnancy by an Omega at any stage, be it the very beginning or close to birth, gave rise to multiple complications, most of which guaranteed the Omega mother’s death.

“You would have a child with me?” Levi asked. They had briefly touched on the subject before the wedding, of course; but since neither of them had been comfortable with discussing it, they had successfully glossed over the entire thing… until now. “You would have a kid with a whore?”

Erwin tutted and then pushed a strand of Levi’s hair behind his ear in a gesture that was almost affectionate. To any outsider they would look like a pair of lovers. Real, actual lovers. But Levi knew it wasn’t the case. Erwin had made his feelings perfectly clear. Not that Levi wanted to fall for the Alpha in any case. It was too much hassle. And if Erwin’s eyes seemed bluer than anyone else’s, it was because the man was tall as fuck and his office was better lit.

“You are not a whore,” Erwin said firmly. “I will not have you speak this way about yourself.”

“You don't like the truth?” Levi asked sardonically.

“It’s not the truth anymore. In any case, you saying such things also brings shame to me as a Commander. So if you won’t do it for yourself, do it for my sake,” Erwin said. Levi rolled his eyes but nodded.

“Fine. I mean, I definitely don’t look like one anymore. Not a cheap one, anyway. The stuff I paint my face with now is definitely higher quality.”

Erwin pursed his lips briefly. “You look beautiful with your face painted. Alluring enough to tug the best gossip out of the mouths of the most silent people.”

“And without the paint?”

“Without the paint, dear wife of mine, you look as innocent as a newborn wolf-cub.”

“You suck at comparisons,” Levi said with a laugh. Erwin grinned.

“This is why I have you go over my speeches.”

“Good thing I can read, huh?”

Levi’s reading had been a bit stilled upon arrival in the castle – since he hadn’t had much of a chance to learn in the Omega House. Now, though, Erwin encouraged him to read books, papers, speeches, documents, anything he could get his hands on. He enjoyed reading, and he tried to get better at it. Hanji kept attempting to give him more scientific literature about the Titans, but he refused impolitely – he didn't want to think about the world he could have been involved in had he been born different.

“Yes, good thing,” Erwin said with a sigh before Levi withdrew, slipping off his knot. The Omega righted his robes that he wore indoors – a traditional Omegan garment he had insisted on calling a _dress_ for the first couple of days after he’d been introduced to it. It was a long flowy thing, white in color, and decorated with embroidery patterns and small buttons. Designed to give easy access to an Alpha – no underwear, no breeches. Just a tent to wear and preserve his modesty. Most Omegas wore these, be it inside or out in the street – and the variety of decoration on the robes indicated the wealth of their Alphas, so they went out of their way to spend as much as they could on their Omega’s dress.

Erwin was one of the few who did not. Levi’s robes for outings were simple, strict, with a single, uniform pattern of crisscross embroidery running down either side of his chest. Levi appreciated that, even though some of the snootier Omegas considered him plain-looking.

He made up for it by painting his face like a professional prostitute – with slightly less enthusiasm, of course, and slightly less blush on the outlines of his face. He lined his eyes with kohl and dabbed powdered gold on his cheeks and below his brows – that was as far as he went. The result, though, was staggering. The dark eyes looked good on him, as opposed to, say, Armin, the Omega belonging to Commander Pixis of the Garrison. The little blond Omega was very petite, and now, five months pregnant with their first child (in spite of the Commander’s age), he looked frankly ridiculous when he painted his face with the traditional black. It was too heavy on his round, childlike features. As far as Levi knew, Armin was only fifteen years old, and he had been thrust into childbearing the moment he had married Pixis. The man had spent his entire life drinking and celebrating life with barren Beta men and women, and had suddenly realized that he needed an heir to continue the line – thus, Armin had been bought for a hearty sum of five thousand pieces from a thankful old farmer who’d been taking care of the boy since his parents and grandfather had all died outside the walls. The little blond was quiet yet inquisitive. Smart. Definitely worth more as a human than an Omega. He seemed intimidated by Levi, too.

Erwin’s eyes followed the motions of Levi’s hands as the latter smoothed out his clothing. It was almost as if he regretted that their time together had to end.

“Would you like to come to the training assessment tonight?” He asked suddenly. Levi’s eyes snapped to meet blue.

“What?”

“Come to the training assessment tonight,” Erwin said, more assertively this time. The Omega crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“That’s not allowed. I’m an Omega,” he said, as if that wasn’t obvious at the first glance.

Erwin regarded him for a long moment. “Come anyway.”

“What if they smell me?”

“They will. They should know how to handle themselves by now,” Erwin replied. His gaze softened. “I will take care so nobody hurts you. They’re rowdy, but they’re nice youngsters.”

Levi looked at him intensely before sighing. “If you want me to, I’ll come.”

 _And torture myself by imagining what it would be like to fly with them._ He had only caught a glimpse of Gear usage out of his window and his breath had been taken away. The same night he had enjoyed a vivid dream of himself zipping through the wind. He had woken up in tears and quickly run for the bathroom to prevent Erwin from waking and seeing him in that state.

“And I can handle myself,” he added as he walked out the door.

Erwin’s mouth twisted into a smirk. “I know that.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter! This is what you guys have been waiting for... sort of, I guess.

Levi honestly didn’t understand what he was doing there. It was hard to concentrate on something concrete; one thing at a time seemed like a distant dream as he walked at Erwin’s elbow, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his flowing silver robes. Everything was overwhelming. Unlike the city streets of Sina, the training grounds at the Survey Corps headquarters were bustling with life and activity – not the languid kind of activity that declared the rich blood of the city-dwellers, with pompous Alphas and pampered Omegas walking at a snail’s pace, their shoes barely making a sound against the cobblestones, so slow they were. No, the courtyard was filled with noise which was dampened by the glass windows in Erwin’s rooms. This was why Levi had never heard it before, not like this. It was mesmerizing.

He found himself wanting to hear more. His ears were keen to remember what real life sounded like. In the Underground, there had been noise quite similar to this – but it had been gloomy, miserable, and sometimes, a harbinger of unpleasantness. Screams in the Underground were not meant to be followed by merry laughter like they were here, as the soldiers rough housed and patted each other on the back. No, in the Underground, screams were only followed by laughter when it was cruel, high pitched hysterical sounds that indicated the impending demise of the screaming party. Levi had barely heard those sounds as well, though; since he had been locked up from the moment he had presented.

“Are you all right?” Erwin asked in a low voice. Levi almost startled at the question; he had forgotten for a moment that Erwin was even there, so strong was the allure of _life_ around them. He looked up at the Commander, imagining himself to be looking a little like a hunted, cornered animal. The man’s face softened a little, not enough to smile, but enough to make Levi feel slightly more at ease.

“There’s no need to be shy. Everyone knows who you are,” the blond said, and Levi wanted to curse him for the words – that was exactly why Levi was so ill at ease. Everyone knew that he belonged to Erwin – if not for the scent, then for the tooth marks on his neck or the robes on his back that brushed the filthy ground with their hem. There was no mistaking who Levi was.

A couple of soldiers looked up at the two of them, and strange expressions passed over their features. They smiled at Erwin, but the smiles were slightly strained. Their mouths quirked with compassionate contempt when they spotted Levi. That was a normal reaction towards an Omega who was part of an influential family. Not that Levi had any real influence, of course.

“Commander!”

Erwin halted and turned. Levi followed him and spotted Nanaba, a pretty young Beta, approaching them, all sympathetic smiles and soft eyes.

“Yes?” Erwin’s voice was low and shiver-inducing. Levi couldn't understand how the rest of the world seemed to be unaffected by it when he was practically panting with want the second the first sound escaped the man’s throat.

“It’s nice to see you out here,” Nanaba said, and Erwin nodded in recognition.

“I do have a duty as Commander,” he said gravely. Levi shuffled his feet self-consciously, regretting his decision to come here.

“It’s also nice to see you, Omega Smith,” Nanaba said kindly. Levi said nothing, only nodding quickly in recognition. The ground sure was a fascinating subject of close study.

“Now, love, don't be rude,” Erwin chastised, and Levi would have grabbed him by the knot and pulled painfully for making him sound like a simpering little wife. But he remembered quite well what he was supposed to be in the face of the public, so he said nothing, only moving closer to Erwin’s side who, seemingly pleased by the display, put his arm around Levi’s shoulders, alleviating the pressure tremendously. The Commander looked up at Nanaba with a bashful smile. “He has been cooped up inside too long, and I decided it was finally time for me to show off my soldiers to my spouse.”

 _Gods, I want to punch you in the gut,_ Levi thought, put managed a wan smile as Nanaba eyed Erwin appreciatively. Not every Alpha would do something like this for their Omega – let them out and, more importantly, allow them in on the intricacies of their jobs. It was safe to say that most Omegas had a very vague idea of what their spouses got up to in the real world – it was of no importance to their childbearing capabilities, after all. What Erwin was doing defied rules and would have scandalized any self-respecting Alpha from Sina; which was probably why Nanaba was positively glowing. Erwin was the roguish, handsome rebel who went against the grain.

“Well then, why don't we proceed with the demonstration, then?”

The two of them followed Nanaba out into the forest where a small clearing made itself visible, on it about two dozen Survey Corps members in various stages of preparation. Levi’s eyes skimmed over their uniforms and equipment. He had put it on Erwin as per his duty as Omega so many times he could almost do it in his sleep; yet he had never worn it himself. He knew from the scars and redness on Erwin’s skin that the belts chafed unforgivingly. He wanted to feel that pain so badly.

He had never seen the entire mechanism together, though. It looked bulky, with the blades hanging in their gigantic sheaths from the soldiers’ thighs. Core strength was paramount in Titan hunting, Erwin had once told him, and now he believed it. His mind went back to the ridiculous contortions he had done for his various clients in the Underground.

The soldiers turned around when they smelled Levi, of course; and he found himself to be the object of scrutiny once more. He refused to hide behind Erwin’s large frame this time, though. He knew how ridiculous he looked – with the robes hanging off his otherwise naked frame, the little slippers that he wore absolutely covered with caking mud, his face glittering with the remains of gold paint smudged on his cheekbones.

Surprisingly, he didn't hear a single expression of the contempt he knew they all felt to some degree. The soldiers were trained well – they knew who their master was; and with Erwin’s commanding presence in the meadow, they were all focused on pleasing him. Still, from time to time, glances were stolen of Levi, and the Omega felt like he had been laid bare for everyone to observe.

“Attention!” Nanaba called, and they immediately filed in to stand in front of their Commander. Levi didn't know whether he was supposed to follow the blond as he walked all the way along the ranks, inspecting the way the soldiers looked. He supposed it was rather silly to do so, so he hung back instead.

Erwin hummed approvingly as he finished his little walk and then turned towards Levi.

“What do you think?”

In an instant all eyes were wide and on him. Whoever asked an Omega of their opinion? What would an Omega know about the standards of the military? It was insane and impractical to be asking this of Levi; and the dark-haired man gave Erwin a look of horror.

“They’re good soldiers, right? They follow orders well?” Erwin said, his voice as even as if he were talking about the weather. Levi glanced between the ranks and him. If he responded in any way, he would invite even more ire towards his person from the men. If he did not, then Erwin would try to wheedle more out of him. Either way, he was royally screwed.

Finally, he managed a small nod, just perceptible enough.

Erwin returned it and then turned back towards the soldiers as if nothing had happened at all. Levi felt like collapsing onto the ground. 

* * *

 

He wasn't sure how the idea had crept into his head. Perhaps it had happened when he had watched to soldiers soar through the air like birds. If he had believed in angels, he would have thought them to be so – flying wingless creatures that created waves in the flow of the wind; it was as if they changed nature itself to obey and support their movements. They were beautiful.

He had come to the training grounds a skeptic and left a changed man.

On the way to the castle and back to the confinement of Erwin’s – and his, he supposed grudgingly – quarters, Levi was silent. He was busy ruminating over a thought that had sunk beneath his skin like a blister. It would hurt if he let it loose, he was sure of it; and yet he couldn’t stay away from prodding it, contemplating it; and he knew that it in the end he would probably succumb to the temptation and make it explode.

He wanted to fly like a bird as well.

He wanted to be like those soldiers; he wanted his skin marred with the belts and beaten with bruises. He wanted the oil of the gear on his fingers, the pads hardened with military work. He wanted to wear that uniform. Pants. Not robes.

Erwin watched him silently over his paperwork, casting him glances from time to time which told Levi that the man was now thinking twice about having taken him to see the demonstration.

Levi had nothing else to do. The book Erwin had graciously given him lay open in front of him, forgotten, as he perched himself on the mattress, naked as the day he was born, ass in the air and head in the clouds.

Even when his Alpha came over some time later and engaged him in a round of stress relief, Levi’s mind was not entirely experiencing what was happening to him. He was still watching the soldiers. He still dreamed of being with them. Soaring. Flying.

He didn't dare share his thoughts with Erwin afterwards as they basked in the residual feeling of orgasmic bliss. Slick and Erwin’s come slid down Levi’s bare thighs but he barely felt the disgusting sensation. He didn't even grab the towel from the bedside table – Erwin was the one who took it up and used it to clean both of them up.

“What did you think about today?” Erwin asked finally, eyeing Levi as the Omega lay on his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling. As if it were the sky, he saw it part with clouds and the sun, so bright, so warm, and for a moment, he could almost imagine getting closer to it. But it wasn't the sky. It was the stone ceiling of Erwin’s quarters. Levi’s true place in this castle. The Omega’s prison.

“I think you are a very cruel man indeed, Alpha Smith,” Levi said stiffly, eyes taking over the man’s surprised face.

“Cruel? It was not my intention to come off as that,” Erwin said with a frown. Levi lifted an eyebrow.

“Sometimes I wonder whether you’re really this dense or you’re just bullshitting me.” 

* * *

 

The opportunity presented itself abruptly. It was almost too perfect. Erwin said he would be doing nighttime training with the soldiers – just in case the Titans were ever active at night, or the Survey Corps had to face them in dark, gloomy weather conditions. Which meant that for three whole weeks, Levi would be going to sleep alone.

Except he didn’t go to sleep, of course.

Sneaking out was difficult: everyone could smell the Omega from miles away, so Levi had to steal towels and clothes from various soldiers first to wrap himself in them and confuse the sharp noses of those who remained in the castle while the rest trained. That was quite easily accomplished – Levi had seen where the laundry room was, and it only took a little flirting with the soldier on duty to get inside and grab an armful of clothes and rags. Though it smelled ripe, and the Omega within Levi protested against the various scents of foreign Alphas, he managed to bear with it. Then he had to distract his attendant, who unfortunately switched every night – Erwin didn't want anyone forming _attachments_ to his Omega, quite understandably (and irritatingly). He finally managed to cause a commotion by pretending to have a migraine and demand medicine be brought all the way from Sina. As the Beta left in a panicked huff, he ran for it.

Locating the equipment wasn't hard, on the other hand: Levi had memorized where the stables were, and he had heard Erwin say that the gear was stored close by for convenience’s sake. He grabbed the smallest straps he could find and adjusted them as well as he could to his own stature – still not nearly enough to be comfortable, but manageable. The tanks were thankfully full, as the Omega had no idea how to use the gas supply. He grabbed two and a spare, and then grabbed a set of grapplings from the shelf. He decided not to go for the blades, not yet. He just needed to learn how to fly first.

Falling hurt a lot. It took him three days to manage a semblance of balance, and then just as much to train his eyes to aim for the right things when he hooked the grapplings and launched himself into the air. Hiding the bruises from Erwin was a challenge, but Levi was a good liar and also quite apt at avoiding intercourse when he wanted to. He claimed headaches, stomach aches and impending heats and Erwin kept his distance more or less respectful. The few times they had actually engaged in sex, Levi managed to maneuver around Erwin’s line of sight.

A week after he began, he realized that he had gotten quite good at flying – even though he wasn't doing it properly. He had memorized the way the soldiers had held their handles, but they were too big for Levi’s hands, so he adjusted the grip, holding the blades he inserted later backwards instead. That lent him more agility and a faster flights as well.

On the last week, the week when he knew he would have to bitterly say goodbye to the wonderful sensation of being in the air, he basked in it instead. He was quite proud of himself – he knew it took _months_ for the soldiers to learn to do this. Years even, to become perfect. Well, he was far from perfect, of course; but he was not useless.

He didn't feel much about the idea of fighting Titans, really. He didn't care about humanity in the sense that Erwin did.

But if it meant that he would be able to stay in the air longer, he knew that he would fight any monster without a second thought.

It was mid-week, and he had just finished his usual round over the meadow, slashing at imaginary Titans and suppressing euphoric whoops, when a voice cut through the silence.

“You’re pretty good.”

Levi’s stomach dropped.

He stumbled, slipping on a tree branch, and fell out of the air right at his husband’s feet. Erwin was standing over him, and his expression was as unreadable as ever. Levi felt himself start to shake – the Omega instincts within him were screaming at him to start cowering, to beg for mercy, to ask Erwin tearfully to forgive him.

But he didn't.

Because he remembered that he still had a semblance of pride. And that pride soared through the air together with him.

“Thanks,” he said instead, sitting up. After a moment’s contemplation, Erwin stretched out his arm, offering Levi his hand to help him stand. The Omega was surprised at that but grabbed the hand as if it were a lifeline.

The two of them stood in silence.

“You did this on purpose,” Levi finally said, realizing why Erwin was so impassive. A small spasm took over Erwin’s lips momentarily. It was a self-assured smile, Levi was convinced of it. _That bastard,_ he thought, completely incapable of being mad at the Commander.

“I knew what I was doing,” Erwin acknowledged.

“You dangled it in front of my nose,” Levi accused.

“And you took the bait, hook, line and sinker.”

“Is the catch to your satisfaction then?” The Omega asked, eyes fixed on Erwin.  The man said nothing for a while before moving closer and placing a finger beneath the chest strap Levi wore and tugging him closer to kiss him on the mouth. It was not a loving kiss. It was a kiss belonging to a victor who had just won the battle of a lifetime. Self-satisfied. Self-assured. Selfish.

Delicious.

Erwin pulled back after a moment and looked down at Levi’s clothes.

“These straps don't fit well. We’ll have to get some custom-made for you.”

Levi hid his surprise well.

“And as for your clothes, I want them off right now.”

This time Levi did raise his eyebrows.

“I don't like the fact that you smell like twenty different Alphas,” the blond explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Levi ended up returning to the castle in Erwin’s arms, carried like a child with the Commander’s jacket draped over his bare form. The new callouses on his fingers hurt like a bitch. Erwin’s eyes sparkled with new determination.

It was wonderful.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter to get the plot where I want it!

Levi continued training in the dead of night under Erwin’s watchful eye. It became clear to Levi why so many soldiers respected the man even though he quite literally sent them to their deaths with insane frequency – that being, he was a much better Commander than he was an Alpha. At least, that was what Levi saw when he flew beneath the starry skies in the forests surrounding the castle. Erwin had a commanding presence about him – and that extended to much more than just the domestic aspect of him. In fact, Erwin was clearly not made to be a husband. He was made to be a military man, a guide, and a teacher, in some respects.

With Erwin’s tutelage, Levi progressed much faster than he had done on his own. However, the man told him countless times that he was _impressed_ by how easily Levi seemed to have slipped into the gear and up in the air without so much as an introductory course or a manual. Levi saw that Erwin was now deliberating the possibility that he had underestimated Omegas – much so like the rest of society at large. Which made the prospect of actually doing this as a job quite daunting to the dark-haired man: after all, he was representing Omegas from all over the Walls. Those who had been oppressed, those who had been married off beyond their will. Those who had already died inside bearing children and catering to the needs and wants of their Alpha husbands in high and low classes.

And he was standing up to the Commander of the Survey Corps himself. Him. Alone. A former whore from the Underground. Now an Omega wife. He was doing this.

It felt like a dream which he wasn’t sure about: he didn’t know whether it really was a _dream_ or a nightmare.

They would go out after nightfall and spend hours just flying around, with Erwin correcting Levi’s posture and giving him tips. Levi had flat-out refused to carry the blades the _right_ way, which had baffled Erwin at first. But then the Alpha quickly shut up after seeing Levi fly the way he wanted to.

Their dynamic changed in the air as well. Levi felt more like a partner than a subservient wife, or even a soldier. Even though he knew that he was the lowest tier of the pecking order, it flattered him to think that Erwin Smith respected his opinion.

Erwin was a very accomplished flyer. He was by-the-book, he was technical, he was… quite boring, yes, but he knew his gear like the back of his hand, he understood the currents of the wind and he saw a winning moment in the most desperate of situations. He was not afraid of getting hurt – and better yet, he was not afraid of getting _Levi_ hurt either. The Omega had feared that his dynamic would prevent Erwin from going all out on him, but it seemed as though his fears had been misplaced.

Erwin was a very hard person to please. And yet, Levi felt like he managed to do so. Time after time, he proved to his Alpha that he _could_ do this.

Now the question was whether he _would_.

The answer came upon them quite by accident.

Of course, that was what most things involving Hanji were like – many accidents in rapid succession.

A mission outside the Walls like never before had been sent out and returned with minor losses but one great gain. That being, a live Titan. Taken from its natural habitat and brought back to stew against the backdrop of the Survey Corps headquarters.

When Erwin told Levi about the ordeal, the Omega could hardly believe his ears. Would he be able to see it? He asked, and Erwin gave him an ambiguous half-nod which could be interpreted either way. Levi didn't press the issue, considering he was still an Omega wife in the eyes of the Survey Corps, and the Titan was closely guarded by the soldiers day and night. Which meant that he would only be able to see it with Erwin by his side as chaperone, and no flying involved whatsoever. Levi was itching to try, though.

He found that the prospect of visiting the Titan wasn’t daunting to him at all. They were enemies, and impediment to humanity’s survival. And he knew what had to be done with enemies.

“Will you kill it after Hanji is done?” He asked Eriwn, and the man gave him a grim smile which could have sent shivers down the bravest man’s spine. Levi, however, remained stoic.

“I wonder,” the blond replied. “Whether we will _have_ to after Hanji’s through with it.”

Levi didn't feel sorry about that at all. He just wanted to see the thing before it dropped dead.

Whatever Erwin’s reasons were, he chose not to display the Titan to Levi for a very long time – Levi even thought that Hanji had already wasted it – when suddenly, he found himself facing a very geared-up Erwin with Levi’s (secretly) custom-made straps in his hands.

“Suit up, we’re going to see the Titan,” he said. Levi glanced out the window. It was already dark, the dead of night, really, in military terms, since the soldiers went to bed very early – hitting the sack after nightfall guaranteed a semi-state of consciousness in the morning. He knew that they had to get up at the crack of dawn. Which was partially why he _didn’t_ want to become a full soldier. He was _not_ a morning person, as Erwin had discovered after being kicked out of his quarters for making too much noise as he got ready for a new day.

“Is that all right, though? Anyone… I mean, people are gonna see,” Levi said, accepting the straps nonetheless.

“It’s fine. Hanji will be there and they know. The guards we have picked for today are trustworthy enough not to mention anything. It’s Mike and Nanaba.”

Levi felt relief flood his body. He didn’t want his new little hobby to reflect badly on Erwin – after all, he was supposed to be of benefit to the Commander, and not the other way around.

They went downstairs, Levi feeling slightly out of place walking outside the castle in full uniform minus the jacket. Erwin had even had a small shirt made for him – and pants as well. Actual pants. As in, no breeze between his balls. He’d worn them before, of course, when they had practiced together, but now he was going to have someone else see him in it, and he felt stupidly self-conscious about the way he looked.

Suddenly, there was a tremor that shook the foundations of the castle. Levi looked at Erwin in alarm, and the blond stared back. They took off running together, Levi struggling to keep up with Erwin’s long-legged pacing, and when they finally halted, Levi froze.

He could see the Titan, all right.

But it was definitely not locked up. In particular, it was staggering about the clearing, its broken chain dangling from its ankle like a useless piece of rope.

This was not good. It was heading for Hanji. Hanji and the rest of the guards, who didn’t have their blades sheathed in their gear. Hanji who was both petrified and elated at the prospect. Mike and Nanaba who looked like they were already rewriting their wills in their heads, eyes wide. Levi had never seen Mike this scared before.

Erwin tensed, reaching for his own blades and unlocking them and nodding at Levi to do the same.

This was the first time Levi had ever seen Erwin fight. He understood now why so many people called the man mad, because he really was – there was not a hint of self-preservation behind the Commander’s actions, only pure determination. Pure lust for the Titan’s demise. It was breathtaking. It was beautiful. It was insanity embodied and all Levi could do was stare at him as he tried to distract the Titan from its prey.

It worked. The Titan swerved around, and suddenly Erwin was at the center of its attention. Which meant that he couldn’t just fly up into the air and nick its sensitive spot – the danger of getting caught or tangled in the Titan’s long limbs was tremendous. Erwin still tried it.

The horror of seeing someone in a Titan’s hand would forever be imprinted in Levi’s memory. This magnificent man, Commander Erwin Smith, his Alpha, Erwin, the most majestic creature Levi had ever encountered, was suddenly dwarfed by the Titan’s huge fist that closed around it with ease. Levi could see Erwin struggle, his legs flailing and his head bobbing up and down as he tried to get his blades free to cut through his confinement. He was almost glad that he couldn’t see the expression on Erwin’s face. He wouldn’t be able to face the disappointment and self-deprecation and gods, the desperation.

Levi charged at the Titan unthinkingly but the creature just stood there, contemplating Erwin in its hand. As if he were a snack.

Fuck, he was going to become a snack if Levi didn’t do anything. With a roar, he surged up, he was sure that the Titan had seen him – and yet it turned its head.

A Titan turned away from a human.

Exposing its neck.

Levi struck.

He barely managed to grapple onto the edge of the Titan’s skull and catch Erwin before the man fell to his death. He landed onto the ground with a dull thud just as the Titan’s bones began to go up in smoke to Hanji’s screams.

“You’re fucking unbelievable,” he growled at the scientist who lamented the loss of their test subject. “Erwin nearly fucking died.”

Hanji righted themselves and then glanced at Erwin who was already standing on his own too feet, albeit a little shakily. “Well, he didn't die, did he?”

“That’s… unimportant right now,” Levi said harshly, completely forgetting his position in society as he supported his husband with his shoulder, rounding on Hanji. “How the fuck did it break out?”

The chain was pretty much all that was left of the creature and Hanji walked over to inspect it. “It looks almost as if someone had… cut through the metal.”

Levi looked at the broken link. What Hanji had said seemed true – the break was too clean, too precise, and not in the spot where the link had originally been joined upon welding. Which meant that this incident had been the product of sabotage. Lovely.

“On a totally different note, though…” Hanji looked at Levi with a wide grin.

“You’re creeping me out,” he said, completely unreserved. Near-death experiences did that to a person.

“The Titan didn't notice you when you came at it,” the scientist said. Levi blinked for a moment before remembering how the creature had simply turned its neck like it had been no big deal.

“What are you saying?” He asked, his shoulders tense. Erwin liberated himself from his grip and stood, now slightly more stable.

“This may only be a hunch, but…” He looked at Hanji who was only too happy to supply the end of that conclusion.

“Maybe Titans can’t smell Omegas,” they said. “Maybe they can’t even see you. Maybe they don’t _want_ to eat you because you’re different.”

Levi blanked. “Wait, you’re telling me even Titans don’t want me?”

Hanji laughed, patting him on the back in a familiar way which almost made Levi’s knees buckle. He missed having people touch him – besides Erwin. Usually, the Alpha would be rightful to make a stand and protest against the Beta’s intrusion of Levi’s space, but Erwin, of course, had nothing to say to that. He simply gave Levi a creepy grin that meant he was already working on a new plan.

“I suppose there’s much to think about tonight, then.” He took Levi’s hand. “Thank you. For what it’s worth, you did save me.”

Levi scoffed. “You really do need to work on your manners.”

Erwin placed a kiss on his forehead. “Go on ahead, I’ll join you momentarily.”

“You’re letting me go alone?”

“I’m sure the entire castle knows that if they touch you, there will be a problem,” Erwin said breezily. Levi rolled his eyes but turned around, gave Hanji and the rest a nod (they returned it with dumbfounded expressions on their faces) and started trekking back to the castle entrance.

Erwin moved to go as well but Hanji caught his sleeve.

“Funny how you decided to take Levi out to see the Titan tonight.”

“Hm?” Erwin turned. “What’s funny about that?”

“No, nothing. Funny how the chain broke just as Levi came out to play.”

A small smirk snaked its way onto Erwin’s lips.

“Yes. Funny.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know! I'm sorry that this is: a) so late and b) so short, but I did do Eruri Week this year, so yay me! Also midterms.

“You want me to do what?” Levi asked with disbelief, looking up at his Alpha as though he had grown three additional heads. And perhaps a pair of horns, for he seemed to have converted to the Devil in a bout of insanity if he thought that this would actually work.

“Recruit more Omegas for the Survey Corps, yes,” Erwin said calmly, sipping his tea as though he had just brought up conversation about the weather and not… something that could change the very foundations of their society.

Omegas didn’t serve in the military. That had been drilled into Levi’s head from day one. He had, of course, become a lucky exception – even though nobody outside of Erwin’s closest circle knew about his nighttime training and the benefits of having an undetectable Omega in the regiment. It was as if the entire world had become a Titan, turning a blind eye to those who could actually destroy it.

Levi had seen the way others of his dynamic were treated. His first conversation with Eren had been a striking example of just how badly things went for people like him. He had even thought himself lucky for a moment that he had at least picked selling his body over just having had the agency taken away from him.

“You’re kidding,” Levi said, rolling his eyes at the blond as he sat down on the edge of Erwin’s desk, looking down at the papers the man had been going through. More of the same – battle plans, correspondence with Mitras… Erwin, he had noticed, never read for pleasure, despite having a pretty extensive library of choice available to him. The man was his work – he breathed it, lived it, and he would probably die for it one day.

Levi found himself thinking that he would be sad if that happened.

Strange.

More importantly, though, the Alpha seemed to have finally gone insane.

“They’ll never agree. And neither will their Alphas,” Levi said frankly. “You don't know half of what it’s like for them-,”

“But you do,” Erwin pointed out. “Which puts you in the perfect position to entice them with the promise of a future.”

“What future?” Levi asked, barking out a laugh as he leaned over Erwin, looking the man straight in the eye. “A future of being eaten when right now, the worst threat they had is within the confines of their own home?”

“That is exactly why it is up to you to set them free, don't you think?” Erwin said sardonically. “They think of you as a hero, you know.”

“Bullshit,” Levi said, almost spitting the word out as he remembered the eyes of Eren, Connie, Jean, Armin… all those Omegas that he had met during small social gatherings and lavish parties. He remembered the humble acceptance on their faces, the passive humiliation, the silence, the crushing, horrible silence of the things that went unsaid between them and their Alphas… and their children.

“Would you want to be threatened in your own home?” Erwin asked, his eyes fixed on Levi’s face. The Omega balked.

“I already was. You would do well to remember that, old man.”

Erwin stretched his arms above his head, smiling at Levi in a very patronizing way, as if the Omega were a child who needed slow, gentle explanations that would inevitably lead to a certain degree of understanding despite his thick skull.

“I remember that. And I remember rescuing you before you were massacred.”

Levi scoffed. “I would have been fine. I’m a survivor. I was born to live in shit and grime. Those kids were not. They would never follow someone towards death.”

Erwin shrugged. “They might surprise you.”

“You have no idea how an Omega’s mind works, you clod,” Levi replied, none too gently as he looked at his husband with sincere distaste. “You have no idea what it is like to get attached to someone even though you know they would hurt you.”

Erwin gave Levi an unreadable glance. “Don’t I?”

The silence between them stretched. Finally, Levi sighed.

“Tell me what I need to do.”

Erwin clapped his hands together in an almost childlike way – but Levi was not going to be fooled by this display. Erwin Smith was the devil incarnate. If he hadn’t been human, he would have been a Titan – a very smart one, too.

“Various things,” he said. “But first, I do believe that there is a small matter to take care of.”

“What kind of matter?” Levi asked. He almost jumped what he felt Erwin’s soft and hot breath on the side of his neck. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Sniffing you,” Erwin said casually, leaning in closer to get a better sense of smell. “More particularly, gauging how long it will take before your next heat.”

Levi went still. He had been so caught up in the excitement of his training that he had completely forgotten about that one horrible facet of his dynamic. Right. The heat that he had been hoping would never come. Now that Erwin had pointed it out, he could already feel the change in his body’s functioning. Looking back on it, he realized just how much he had been eating these past few days, as though his Omega nature had been telling him again and again that he had to stock up.

“How long have you known?” He asked through gritted teeth, denying himself the natural response his skin was itching for – to lean into Erwin’s touch and never let go.

“A couple of days. I’m sure the others have noticed as well,” Erwin said casually, his long arms already wrapped around Levi’s frame firmly.

“And you didn’t say anything because…?”

“I wanted to see how you would deal with a stressful situation.”

“What?” Levi’s eyes widened and he leaned back from Erwin, trying to get out of his iron-clad embrace. “You think this is a joke? A test?”

Erwin frowned. “I do not see anything wrong with it. It seems as though you have become quite disconnected with your body. You cannot even feel it coming on, you failed to read the quite obvious signs, which leads me to believe that you have very little control when it comes to these things in reality, despite-,”

“Being a whore? Thanks, Commander,” Levi said sarcastically, pushing his hands against Erwin’s broad chest.

The man stood, taking Levi by the wrists and dragging him towards the bed. Even though the Omega struggled, he was far too small and much weaker than Erwin, especially this state, to really fight back.

“What do you want with me?” He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I want to see whether you can resist a heat long enough to get you home safely if you ever go into heat on a mission,” Erwin said, sounding entirely too reasonable.

“That’s what suppressants are for,” Levi protested.

“You know that the government has very harsh control over those kinds of drugs,” Erwin replied. “It would make sense for them to begin withholding if Omegas were ever to attempt at joining the army.”

“So I’m your lab rat?” Levi asked. “You know, I am not a very representative sample. I have experience, more so than any of those _children_ you want to sacrifice in the name of humanity’s rotten future.”

“Oh, Levi,” Erwin said gently, leaning over the Omega’s form and pressing him into the mattress easily with one hand. Levi heaved against his digits to no avail.

“You _are_ the future.”

* * *

Levi was burning.

Every single cell of his body was on fire. Finally off the suppressants he had been using in the Underground, he had once more become a victim of his body’s natural fallacy: he was a weak, heaving little lump of flesh and bones, tearing at the sheets and letting out small whimpers as he attempted to resist the horrendous pull towards the Alpha who sat next to the bed, watching him impassively.

The only thing that gave away Erwin’s own state of mind and body was the steady thrumming of his pulse against his neck and the small droplets of sweat that made an appearance from beneath his hairline from time to time.

“Erwin…” Levi breathed, feeling as though he was going to either explode or throw up or both.

His stomach clenched – all of it, not just the upper part, but every single muscle, right down to his pelvis. His body was yearning to be taken, knotted, penetrated and defiled.

His was nothing more than what his biology dictated him to be.

He hated himself.

He hated Erwin.

But most of all, he hated the fact that Erwin was right. He had to learn to control this.

“H-how much longer?” He asked, his face contorting into a grimace of pain as he clutched at the pillow, wanting nothing more than to tear in apart. The fact that Erwin had not put him in restraints was almost worse than the alternative – this exercise was one in self-control, and Levi could already feel himself failing.

Failing and falling deeper into the trap his own nature had set up for him ever since he had been conceived in the womb of his whore mother.

“Five more hours,” Erwin replied. Levi knew that the Alpha was also finding it difficult to keep himself in check, to stay calm, to be collected. But while Alphas simply became hot in the presence of an Omega in a state such as Levi’s, they didn’t immediately feel compelled to act on their impulses. Which couldn’t be said for the Omegas themselves.

Levi thrust his hips against thin air, as if he were hoping to find some sort of salvation in it.

“Don’t,” Erwin said. “Remember, what if you were out there, in the field, with nothing but your weapons and a horse?”

 _I’d fucking let the horse fuck me,_ Levi thought bitterly, knowing that if he told Erwin he would only see disappointment in the blue eyes that he simply wanted to make proud.

It was weird, this strange feeling of wanting to please someone in a way that was completely non-sexual. Sure, Levi knew that the reward that would follow this cruel experiment would make it worth his while when Erwin finally took him.

He knew that Erwin would definitely be able to satisfy him, after this instance of extreme delayed gratification.

But he also wanted to see the look on Erwin’s face that he had seen the first time Erwin had revealed he knew about Levi’s flying abilities.

“C-can’t we talk, at least?” He whimpered, biting his lip to prevent more sounds from escaping his already raw throat. He was burning up. He needed water. But the outside world might not have water when he needed it.

He had to train himself.

“No,” Erwin said, sitting back. “You won’t have anyone to talk to if you’re in a pinch like this outside the Walls. It would actually be in your best interests to run away as far as possible from the Alphas in the army.”

“They can’t satisfy me,” Levi breathed, lust flushing his face without shame. “Only you can, Erwin… only you, my Alpha…”

“Which means that you will have to keep a clear head in order to get back to me,” Erwin replied calmly, his voice barely above a whisper. “Now, quiet down. Four hours and fifty-eight minutes to go.”

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am trash with short chapters. Sorry, guys, senior year and shit.

Burning. That was what it felt like. Levi was on fire. Fire. Fire. Every single cell in his body was crying out for something he couldn’t quite grasp – the apex of pleasure that he couldn't reach while his _fucking_ Mate was… dicking around like he usually was, apparently.

“Hurry the hell up.”

Erwin looked at his Omega over his shoulder. “Patience, darling. You know we have to take extra precautions if you want to stay in the Survey Corps, correct? Five minutes after taking the medicine, that’s the rule.”

“I had to endure fucking _hours_ of your little experiment,” Levi whined, his body thrashing around the bed even though Erwin had made it a point to tie him to the headboard.

“You’re hurting yourself. Look at your wrists,” Erwin said gently, sitting on the edge of the bed with a sigh. The man had his shirt of, so at least Levi could feast his eyes on what was an undeniably very pleasant sight: Erwin Smith was very well put together, for an Alpha – those who had come to the Underground Omega House, at least, had been… flabby, to put it kindly. But no, Erwin Smith just had to be _fucking perfect_ in everything.

They had done this before – outside of heats. The small drug-induced bout of lust that Levi had experienced after their wedding was nothing compared to what he was feeling now: a continuous hum that only grew louder in his bones, causing him to shake and sweat all over the fresh sheets. He found himself disgusting – he hadn’t had a proper heat in a very long time, since all of them had been suppressed by various concoctions his pimp had stockpiled: an uncontrollable Omega could become violent in bed, and he didn't want to risk his business just in case that were to happen.

Clearly, Erwin was not concerned about Levi’s lack of self-control: rather, he encouraged it, the bastard. The Omega just wanted to get off at this point, and he would stop at absolutely nothing if that meant some relief from his buzz of dissatisfaction in his bones, his veins, his skin, every single nerve cell in his body just yelling, gasping for the fulfilling feeling of orgasmic bliss.

He really did feel like a whore now.

“Erwin…”

“Just another minute left, Levi,” Erwin replied, stroking Levi’s hair. The Omega winced.

“Don’t touch me if you’re just gonna play around,” he whimpered, his words slightly slurred by the fever that wrecked his body.

“I won’t,” Erwin promised. “I told you that I would reward you for passing the test. And think of how easy it would be for you now, in case this ever takes you by surprise out there, while fighting the Titans.”

“I don’t fucking _care_ , Erwin,” Levi hissed, glaring at the man. His hips thrust upwards against thin air.

“Ten seconds.”

They stared at each other, the silent countdown hammering in Levi’s bloodstream, his pulse almost double the rate of time.

Then Erwin pounced.

It was all a haze for Levi since that moment – he felt Erwin’s lips on him, claiming, demanding, taking what the man wanted and giving back just as much. The Omega drank in the pants and the growls that he managed to elicit from Erwin by just… _being the way he was_. The thought that he could command the Commander was absolutely intoxicating, but even that thought could do little to combat the feeling _need_ that drove Levi’s actions as he put his arms around Erwin’s shoulders, tugging him closer still.

He remembered unbuttoning Erwin’s pants and sliding them down his thighs. He remember watching the Alpha hurriedly slide them off the rest of the way to reveal that he had worn nothing beneath his breeches.

He remembered the slickness of their skin, how their bodies moved against each other, spurred on by the dictation of their primal instincts: Levi’s scent and Erwin’s lust for it.

He remembered spreading his legs for the Alpha. Shameless. Hollow, ready to be filled.

He remembered the sting of the initial breech, his own embarrassing little moans that seemed to be amplified as they reverberated around the Commander’s quarters, making them seem all the more vulgar.

At that point, he could no longer remember anything: his own name, Erwin’s name, anything they were to each other besides Alpha and Omega. They were one, united, tied together through flesh and pleasure which they shared.

Erwin moved within him as if his life depended on it – and close enough, Levi had thought that another hour of waiting would have killed him. His dependence on Erwin was horrifying; and yet he couldn't bring himself to hate it.

He wasn’t in love with Erwin Smith.

But he was completely and entirely _with_ him, in every single sense of the word.

He was Erwin’s, and Erwin was his.

The roll of the Alpha’s hips, the steady rhythm he had been building up, suddenly broke, and Levi found himself being frantically fucked into the headboard. The rope stung his wrists but he barely noticed, focused entirely on what was happening between his thighs.

Erwin drove into his mate again and again, making Levi moan and scream and salivate all over the sheets. His slick spilled everywhere, coating the room in the musky scent of an Omega in dire need for release.

And when it came – when _he_ came – he lost himself completely, handing his body and mind over to the experience of belonging to someone else.

Someone powerful.

Someone beautiful.

Erwin Smith.

The Alpha’s knot flared within him and he cried out again, finally having reached his release. His fingernails left deep red marks on Erwin’s shoulder – payback for the new angry red imprints of Erwin’s teeth on the side of his neck.

He came to about half an hour later, Erwin still seated within him firmly. Though the knot had deflated, the Alpha had not bothered to pull out, instead having decided to lavish attention onto his mate, his large hands caressing the younger man’s hair.

“Better?” He asked, his voice hoarse and deep. It was obvious he had been fucking – and Levi appreciated the fact that the Commander of the Survey Corps was quite the screamer in bed. It made for a good reputation for him as Erwin’s Omega, after all.

He nodded. “Not enough, though… This will take… days.”

“I know,” Erwin said with a smile. He dipped down to press a soft kiss to Levi’s cheekbone, leaving a tingle in the Omega’s skin even after his mouth departed.

“Will you stay with me?” Levi asked, not wanting to sound even half as desperate as he did. The heat was taking a toll on his mental faculties, it would seem, since this was not how he had ever behaved with any of his customers.

“Of course,” Erwin replied. “The experiment is over, Levi. I’m here with you. I’ll help you through this.”

The Omega nodded gratefully.

“Thanks,” he breathed. “I… I need this, Erwin. There aren’t many things I need, but this-,”

“It’s natural for you to want this kind of thing, Levi. Don’t be ashamed of who you are.”

Warmth spread in Levi’s chest and he had to look away from those blazing blue eyes before he embarrassed himself even further by saying something ridiculously cheesy that did not align with his regularly terse personality.

“You’ll be having a lot of sex,” he said quietly, making Erwin chuckle.

“I was counting on that. Relax and unwind, that’s what Hanji told me when I said I would be taking some time off work to focus on domestic things.”

“Is that… really how you put it?” Levi cringed. “I’m a domestic thing now?”

“You are the most important domestic thing.”

“Commander Smith, are you _flirting_ with me?”

“I have my knot buried in your hole, Levi. I think the time for flirting is long past.”

That earned him a swat on the shoulder.

“You know, everyone thinks you’re such a fine gentleman, with your long words and your suave… disposition, of whatever. But you’re actually a disgusting animal,” the Omega said. That elicited another deep laugh from Erwin which resonated into Levi’s body. The Omega couldn’t help but moan out loud.

“Did I hurt you?”

Levi looked up at the Alpha who seemed genuinely concerned and scoffed.

“Takes a lot more than that to hurt me, Erwin.”

The Commander was about to say something righteous, his jaw working, so Levi placed a finger against his lips to silence him. He didn’t want any melodramatic exchanges. They weren’t in love.

They were married.

And he was in heat.

Those things had absolutely nothing to do with each other.

“Do you think we can break a record?” Erwin asked in a bid to change the subject and steer it away from uncomfortable ground. Levi lifted an eyebrow, his skin flushing already once more.

“Personal or all-time?”

“Whichever one gets beaten first, don’t you think?”

“I never thought you’d aim so low, Commander. That’s so unlike you.”

“I never aim small, Levi,” Erwin whispered against the Omega’s lips, claiming them in a scorching, toe-curling kiss again as he began to move within the younger man.

“Obviously. You got me.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I suck. Sorry. This chapter is a shortie, but it's important. Also thank you to my lovely traumaticteacups for helping me flesh this out!

Levi sighed exasperatedly as he sat down onto Erwin’s desk without ceremony. The Alpha lifted an eyebrow at his husband’s behavior but said nothing, looking up at him from the paperwork he had been doing.

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood,” he said, giving Levi a once-over. The Omega crossed his arms.

“They’re not going to do it.”

“Really?”

“I said everything you told me to say, Erwin. I told them what we’re doing and they seemed enthusiastic about the whole thing – until I got to the part which mentioned their participation. And then they all just froze up. Armin, Eren, Jean. All of them. It’s like… they want to keep on living like this,” he said, biting his lip frustrated.

“You didn’t try hard enough.”

“Excuse you?” Levi replied defensively. “I did everything you told me to do and suddenly, I’m not the one sitting on my ass in my office pouring over paperwork instead of-,”

“They would never even trust me enough to speak to me. Plus, it would look suspicious if I did. You have an in with them.”

“Apparently it’s not enough.”

“So what do we do?” Erwin asked, leaning back in his seat as well. “You know this plan will only work if we can get their support on this. Their participation, actually.”

“We need to make them see that they can make a different. You didn't hear their words, Erwin, it’s like they’ve given up before even trying to fight,” Levi said with a sigh. “It might come as a surprise to you but Omegas aren’t exactly given equal footing-,”

“You don’t say,” Erwin replied dryly. “This is precisely why I think such liberation would be good for them.”

“They are scared of their Alphas finding out and abusing them even more. The bruises on Armin’s legs, I could… I could see them. His Alpha makes him wear short tunics just to display them to the world. That’s sick,” Levi said, glancing down at his own uniform. He had not realized how privileged he was until that moment.

“And Eren… he told me he had other responsibilities that were much more important.”

“What could possibly be more important than humanity’s survival?”

Levi let out a derisive laugh. “Goddess, you really are clueless, aren’t you?”

Erwin waited for him to explain. Levi sighed.

“Children. Their children, Erwin.”

The Alpha’s lips parted in surprise. “Right.”

“Or did you think that they would just cast away their adorable little kids and go off on a mission? Their Alphas might kill those children, for all they know.”

“But how do they know?” Erwin asked, watching Levi with a frown.

“Eren’s words, not mine,” Levi said with a shrug. “You can only imagine what happens in that household. They can’t risk that.”

“What if we offer them some guarantees?” Erwin suggested. Levi laughed. “Like what?”

“Erwin, those children legally _belong_ to the Alphas. The Omegas don’t have any legal power over them,” he said. “Those are the laws of the land, aren’t they? You should know, since you’re so well-versed in jurisprudence.”

Erwin sighed. “We could… help them run.”

“Run?” Levi asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“Give them shelter in the castle.”

“You’re a dreamer,” Levi said with a harsh laugh. “You know that there is… a very scant possibility of them agreeing to something this uncertain. Because at least they have stability back where they life. Bad stability, granted, but… at least they know what comes tomorrow.”

Erwin sighed. “I’ll vouch for them if push comes to shove. The military is moving towards liberal policies-,”

“But not fast enough,” Levi replied. “We need to give them something that would make them think that risking their lives in their relative security is good enough. That… that the promise of what we have is worth it.”

“What about the promise of a new tomorrow?” Erwin asked. “Not just for humanity. But for them and their children as well.”

Levi smirked.

“What do you have in mind?”

* * *

Armin and Eren were strolling across the center of Mithras, their escorts lagging behind a little. Eren’s eldest, Joshua, clung to his hand, and his other hand was occupied by sheltering his stomach. White robes were draped over their bodies, hiding the true state of Eren’s health. Armin helped his friend along when waddling around became too much.

“I still don't know what to get him for his birthday,” Eren said with exasperation. Armin shrugged.

“What does he like?”

“Nothing much,” Eren sighed. “There are things that… he enjoys, but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want to share them with me.”

“What do you mean?”

“The other day… he came home late. Smelled of another Omega,” Eren replied bitterly, looking down at the ground. He glanced backwards to see whether their escorts could hear what he was saying. They were sure to report everything the Omegas were talking about if they felt that it undermined their Alphas’ authority.

Armin frowned. “He wouldn’t do such a thing-,”

“That’s what I kept telling myself, Armin,” Eren replied with a sigh. “But the evidence has been staring me in the face for years now. I just refused to see it because I thought that… Eh, I don’t even know what I thought, Armin. Do you know how that feels?”

“All too well,” the little blond said. “This is unfortunate, Eren. But you know what it means, right?”

“Nothing.”

“Exactly,” Armin said grimly. “This discovery means nothing, all right? You will carry on as usual because that’s all you _can_ do.”

Joshua squeezed Eren’s hand. “Mommy?”

“Yes, love?” The green-eyed Omega’s attention was on his son within a split-second’s notice.

“Can we get ice cream?”

“But we have some at home, love,” Eren said gently. The little boy pouted, aiming a painful kick to his mother’s shin. Eren winced but said nothing. His boy was going to be an Alpha. Which already put him above his position in society, even at such an early age.

“I want ice cream!”

“Right. We’ll get some, then,” Eren replied exasperatedly. He looked at Armin who shrugged.

“I don’t mind making a detour.”

“Nobody asked you!” The little boy said defiantly.

“Joshua, that’s not nice-,” Eren began.

“Nobody asked you either! You’re just an Omega! You have to do what I say!”

 _The goddess give me patience,_ Eren thought to himself. Sometimes he selfishly thought that it would be nice if he didn’t survive the new pregnancy. Wouldn’t that be a nice repose from all this stress?

Suddenly, the air was alight with life as something whizzed over their heads.

“What in the world?” One of their escorts began, his eyes wide as he saw what the rest of town was seeing.

It was Erwin Smith. The Commander of the Survey Corps. Beside him was Levi.

His Omega Levi.

Clad in full Survey Corps regalia.

Riding the winds as if it were nothing.

“Armin… Am I dreaming?” Eren asked, dropping Joshua’s hand absent-mindedly. The blond boy’s eyes were wide with awe.

“If you are, then it’s a paranoia we both share,” Armin replied, barely moving his lips as he watched the show. Levi zipped through the air, all around Erwin – literally flying circles around the Commander. The Alpha had a strange smile on his face – half-determined, half-proud. The way he looked at Levi took their breath away.

“What is this?” Eren asked, his eyes searching the scene.

Levi flipped in the air, and let the grappling go. He went into free fall and the frozen crowd ooh’ed in horror. Just seconds before he hit the ground he was caught by Erwin.

Complete trust.

There was not a single moment’s hesitation in his eyes.

Together, the two of them flew over the marketplace, from building to building, their movements perfectly predictive of each other. They were not synchronized – this was no routine – but they were strangely in tune. As if they really did expect the other to know exactly where he was going.

“Armin,” Eren whispered, licking his lips.

“Yes?” The blond boy murmured, not taking his eyes off Erwin and Levi. The MP’s were beginning to gather in the square but nobody paid them any attention. It was as if the entire flow of life had stopped in the city of Mithras.

“Did Levi ever… talk to you about something?” Eren asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Armin’s eyes widened.

“Is that what this is about?” He asked, breathing the question back, too scared to raised his voice. Levi’s hand found Erwin’s again and he brought the Alpha down with him only to catch their weight using his own gear.

“They were beautiful,” someone in the crowd muttered. Eren turned his head at the sound.

“Jean.”

The boy met his gaze.

“They are.”

Armin’s hand found Eren’s tentatively.

“But Omegas aren’t allowed to do this!” Joshua pouted.

“Looks like they are now,” Eren said, trying to keep the happiness out of his voice. “It’s happening. It’s finally happening.”

Erwin and Levi landed smoothly. The blond’s large arm was over Levi’s waist. Neither of them was out of breath.

“Omegas!” Erwin called. “It’s time for you to rise up!”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I'm sorry! I was graduating and traveling but now I'm back! Thank you for sticking with this story so far!

Things happened very quickly after that. The next thing Levi knew Erwin was in shackles, being taken away by the Alphas of the Military Police, concern, disgust, the entire range of negative emotions on their faces. 

_Leave me, I’ll be fine,_ Erwin had said.

_This is not just about you, asshole,_ Levi remembered thinking as he’d sped through the convoluted alleyways of the capital. _I’m busting you out._

He found himself panting, completely out of breath when he reached the basement of the small mansion they’d rented out to serve as headquarters. He was met with incredulous stares of Hanji and Mike who awaited him in Erwin’s office, anxious to hear the news of their foolhardy gamble. 

“How did it go?” Hanji grabbed Levi by the forearms and he leaned into the touch, barely able to stay on his feet. He hadn’t run like this since he’dbeen a lowly little kid in the Underground. Now that he thought about it, not many things had changed for him – sure, he was a _wife_ now, he was an Omega with status (although after their little stunt he was pretty sure the government would place a bounty on his head if only to make sure the rest of the Omegas refused to rebel). But when it came to running from the law, he was still there, still doing it. 

Except now it was about something much bigger than him. 

“They saw us,” Levi said, his mouth stretching into a maniacal grin, so reminiscent of his Alpha’s that Mike had to look away. “They saw us fly. All of them. The Omegas… the Alphas, they were there…” 

Hanji offered him a glass of water which he accepted gratefully. “Now what?” 

Levi downed the water in one go and glanced at the two soldiers who were waiting for the news. 

“Levi,” Mike began, pausing when he realized that he probably knew the answer. “Levi, where’s the Commander?” 

“Arrested,” Levi said, glancing at the man gravely. “Erwin… he knew it could happen. He didn't tell me. And I-,”

“You hesitated,” Mike said. Levi was thankful that the man wasn’t at least trying to strangle him. “You hesitated and you allowed him to be taken-,” 

“Relax, gigantor,” Levi said, furrowing his brows. “We’re getting him out.”

“We?” 

“Yes, we,” Levi said firmly. “You guys have better access than I do, even though they may give me visitation rights or something. Fuck, they’re probably going to execute him without trial-,” 

“-or not,” Hanji said, grinning. “They’re going to want a show. They’ll invite everyone they know and their Omegas, and their wives, and their children. They’d want a spectacle to make sure nobody even thought of doing what you two maniacs did.” 

“Then I guess I have to go pick out my dress.”

* * *

Spitting out blood was not fun. Erwin would have thought that he’d remember the sensation from his adolescent days, but clearly not – the impact of the blows against his chest stung quite a bit more than he recalled.

He wondered whether Levi had been able to reach the headquarters – he was pretty sure that the Military Police wouldn’t have given up an opportunity to torment him with the sight of his captured Omega If the case had been otherwise; still, he couldn’t help but worry. 

And think. 

That was another thing about solitary confinement – one had way too much time on their hands; they began to think too hard and reach too many correct conclusions. 

Conclusion number one: their little plan had definitely succeeded. The point hadn’t been to get the Omegas to join the Survey Corps from the get-go – that would have been impossible by itself; but to give them a glimpse of what their full potential was. He had seen the shocked expressions on their painted faces, the longing in their eyes. He knew that it had been there before – but now it was a hundred, a thousand times stronger. Strong enough for them to disobey their Alphas. 

Conclusion number two: Levi was beautiful when they flew together. It wasn’t just the grace of his movements, and the angles of his body, which were somewhat awkward on the ground; but the fact that Levi seemed to instinctively know what to do in the air. Better yet, he knew how to do it and he didn’t mind sharing the joy or flight with Erwin. That was something the Commander rarely saw – this innate trust, the immediate choice to hand oneself over to the orders of one’s superiors. 

And now this trust had landed Levi husband-less, as Erwin was effectively locked up and awaiting possible trial and most probable death. In the best case scenario, he was going to get a kangaroo court, a show trial, something to caution all others who got it in their heads that Omegas in the military were a natural occurrence – but he knew that what Levi and he had intended to do, they had achieved. He’d seen flickers of surprise and delight on the faces of the Omegas he knew Levi had frequently conversed with, those poor souls who had thought they were just so lucky to bear children and hide in the shadows. 

There was a storm brewing. Now it was up to Levi not to let it die. Levi and the rest of the Survey Corps. Hanji, Mike. Nanaba, Moblit. All of them. They were going to make fine-,

“Inmate Smith!” 

His thoughts were interrupted by a military policeman who was on guard duty in the maximum security vault. 

“Yes?” He asked, trying to appear as collected as possible even though his left eye was almost completely swollen shut and his lip had been split in several places. 

“Your trial is scheduled for tomorrow. You might wanna put something on that,” the man sneered, pointing his finger at Erwin’s face with derisiveness written all over his features. “Since your pretty little wife is getting a front seat.” 

Erwin’s eyebrows shot up. He doubted Levi would show up – they weren’t _really_ married. Levi had done his part for Erwin, and it was time for them to part. They weren’t in love. They were just… whatever they were, really. 

It didn’t matter that he found himself missing Levi as the door slammed shut behind the guard. 

* * *

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Hanji asked, eyeing Levi as he finished up his eyeliner. “I mean-,”

“They can’t arrest me,” Levi replied, giving the Beta a lopsided little smirk that easily sent chills down a normal person’s spine. “The funny thing about your laws is that an Omega _can’t_ be arrested and put on trial. We’re not people, we’re property. Arresting me would mean admitting that we are actual persons. With actual agendas. With feelings and thoughts and the ability to plan and carry out a crime.” 

“Still, it’s risky.” 

“I’m willing to take that risk.” He smoothed over the wrinkles in his traditional white gown. It was weird being in something this… _flowy_ after weeks of wearing the uniform.

“Why?” 

Levi snapped around, surprised at the question. 

“What do you mean?” He asked, his voice quiet. Hanji approached him, an unreadable expression on their face. They placed their hand on Levi’s shoulder, leaning in conspiratively. 

“Why are you doing this? You can walk away now. They’ll execute Erwin and you’ll be free to go back to the Underground or hide in the upper town if you want to.” 

“He’s my Alpha.” 

“You’re not in love with him, are you?” 

Ah. Trust Hanji to be deadpan. 

“He’s my Alpha,” Levi repeated. “He showed me freedom. He showed me that I deserve to be a person. That I can do more than just spread my legs and take it. He did more for me than any other human being even attempted to do.” 

“He wouldn’t want you to dwell on your _misplaced sense of debt_ ,” Hanji said. Levi’s lips quirked into a smirk. 

“He’d say that, wouldn’t he?” 

Hanji nodded. “Don’t change the subject. So why?” 

“Because I want to make his dream come true. Like he did mine.” 

Levi turned towards the door. 

“Levi?” 

“Yes?” 

“What was your dream?” 

Levi bit his lip. 

“To see the sky.” 

* * *

“Omega Smith!”

Levi whipped around, Hanji and Mike by his side also stopping in the middle of the road to look at the three white-draped Omegas panting, their hands on their knees, seemingly after a chase. 

“What is it?” 

“We’re coming with you!” Armin said proudly. Levi rolled his eyes. 

“Good one. How about you three go back to your kids or whatever-,” Armin’s hand went to his stomach. 

“We want to be there for you. And for the Commander.” 

“Why?” 

Levi found himself resenting the question since most people in one way or another questioned each other’s motivation in this world. Back in the Underground _why_ had been irrelevant. 

“We want to support our heroes,” Jean said, narrowing his eyes at Levi. More challenging than he’d ever appeared, Levi had to give him that. 

“You cannot do anything, it’s pointless-,” 

“It’s not!” Eren said hotly. “It’s not! You proved that! When you flew… just because we _saw you fly_ , you already made a difference. Maybe… maybe if people saw us at the trial, they’d-,” 

“Change their minds? Pardon Erwin? Name the town square after him?” Levi snorted. He turned back towards the courthouse and then paused, glancing over his shoulder at the dismayed boys. 

“Fine. Just… don’t blame me if you get a beating from your Alphas afterwards.” 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry it took so long! I have no excuse – my summer was way too good and now grad school is way too hard. But here it is, at long last! Unbeta-ed as always.

The trial turned out to be a pretty popular event – or at least, the authorities had made it so, what with having herded everyone who wasn’t at work into the courtyard, waiting for the farce to begin. As soon as Levi stepped onto the booth, all eyes were on him, and he shifted uncomfortably, once more feeling like a painted whore on display in his pristine white robes and kohl-lined eyes. Behind him stood the three boys who had refused to back away from whatever they thought they would be doing here – it wasn’t like anyone was even remotely interested in listening to an Omega’s opinion.

Nevertheless, Levi stood there, watching the courtyard fill up with people he knew and didn’t know – officers, their Omegas (who looked even more fearful out in public with their mates than they normally did by themselves), random bystanders, butchers, bakers, arms dealers, vermin from the Underground – all of them were here to see Erwin Smith get sentenced to die for being right. 

The hum of the crowd grew louder and soon fanfares sounded, urging Levi to roll his eyes at how full of pomp and ceremony this was: if the trial had been for someone other than Commander Erwin Smith, there would have been nary a word about it on the town.

“Look who’s here.” 

He turned to see Nile Dok standing among the witnesses for the opposing side, the side of the government, the Military Police, the Wallists, pretty much the side of everyone who wasn’t Levi and his little gang of misfit Omegas who all seemed to be giving their being here a second thought. And a third. He wouldn’t blame them for running, of course, considering the fact that they were probably already soiling their pretty white gowns in fear of being punished by their Alphas. Jean in particular looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up and take him to hell directly without suffering the transit of Dok’s very probably punishment. The man gave him a disbelieving look and then bared his teeth in a derisive sneer which was enough to rival that of the one playing on Levi’s features. 

“Alpha Dok,” Levi replied in a clipped yet polite tone he had learned from Jean. “Riveting to see you. Is that a new goatee style? Suits you quite well, if I may say so. The previous one made you look like a retired child molester.” 

Nile’s eye twitched and though Levi knew there were going to be consequences for insulting another Alpha the way he had just done, he was enjoying the immediate aftereffects far too much to dwell on it. 

“You will not be smart with any of us when we sentence your precious Alpha to die,” he replied, yellowing teeth bared. Levi suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. The man sounded like a discount villain from one of Hanji’s numerous romance novels. 

“Being smart with any of you would be redundant, since that would put me well above all of yours intellectual levels,” Levi replied in a bored voice. “Now, if you are quite done terrorizing my companions, how about we get this show started? My husband is in tired need of a shower, I must imagine, so I would rather get him back to headquarters by six.” 

Nile looked for a moment as if he was going to have some sort of seizure, but instead huffed out a breath, vaguely reminiscent of what dragons looked like in the children’s books Levi had read when he had first begun learning the alphabet. The Omega took the man’s tantrum in his stride and turned back towards the front of the court. 

As their world was in a constant state of military alert, every court was automatically curated by the Supreme Commander himself. Zackley walked in, a lumbering mountain of flab and skin, and gave the entire audience a heavy glare before sitting down. They sat as well. 

“Get him in here,” he called to the guards, and two military policemen emerged from the side door dragging Erwin between them. Levi had to hand it to the man – even though he looked like he had seen better days, what with half of his face presenting a fresh bruise, no doubt the word of the military police, the Alpha still managed to look a thousand times more dignified than the rest of them. Compared to him, they were vultures. He stood a proud eagle. 

“Alpha Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps, you are being tried for violating the Omega laws of this state,” Zackley said in a bored voice as Erwin was thrust against the defendant’s podium. “Eye-witness accounts tell of the little joyride you and your Omega took in the middle of the town square as an act of defiance against this government’s policies. Do you have anything to say in your defense?” 

Erwin looked at Zackley wearily before turning towards the audience. Blue eyes immediately spotted Levi who didn’t try to hide anyway, and the Alpha’s massive eyebrows shot up in surprise, confusing Levi a little. Didn’t he expect him to be here? 

“I do not believe I have done anything wrong,” Erwin said finally, peeling his gaze away from that of his Omega who stood rigidly across the room. 

“You have broken the law,” Zackley pointed out. “There are rumors of you having allowed your Omega to train with the rest of your regiment as well.” 

“I said I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong. Not that I haven’t done anything illegal,” Erwin said wryly. Levi bit his lip to hide a smile. 

“Meaning?” Zackley asked, his voice grave. 

“Meaning that I believe these laws are outdated and overall damaging to the progress of humanity against the Titans,” Erwin replied simply. There was a collective intake of breath and Levi fought the urge to roll his eyes yet again. Oh yes, everyone was positively _scandalized_ by the very idea of an Omega being capable of joining the fight against the detestable creatures that ruined everyone’s lives. 

"Am I correct in saying that you stand for the... involvement of Omegas in the military?” Zackley asked, looking very properly and politely bemused. Eren shuffled behind Levi, a redundant gesture since he was more than a head taller than the other Omega – and yet, somehow, to the rest of them, Levi had a commanding presence. He felt like a mother hen suddenly, and he cursed his natural instincts for finding the idea not a least bit disgusting. 

“You are correct, Supreme Commander,” Erwin said in an even politer tone. He was positively smug, at least, to those who knew the variety of Erwin Smith’s facial expressions. Levi tensed up. It seemed as though he wasn’t the only one with a smart mouth around here.

“You do realize that it would cause havoc?” Zackley said, with murmured agreement from the predominantly Alpha crowd. “Nothing would ever get done! Their scents, their heats, they would throw the entire institution out the window.” 

“I do believe that it is not the Omegas’ problem, then, rather, it is ours,” Erwin said smoothly. The murmuring stopped all of a sudden. Zackley actually stood up for a split-second, he was that surprised. 

“Ours?” 

“Ours, sir. The Alphas. If we are the ones who cannot control our urges, then why do we blame the Omegas? Why must they be excluded because of our tendency towards them?” Erwin asked. The court hall was instantly filled with outraged yelling. Curses, abusive language, all thrown towards the Commander of the Survey Corps who stood cooly in front of them, shackled with his hands behind his back. It was then that Levi realized once more why so many people decided to join the Survey Corps despite it being a potentially perilous job. Because Erwin Smith was just that good of a leader. That firm. 

Levi’s knees felt slightly jelly-like. 

“You are saying that Alphas are the ones who should control themselves despite their _obvious_ superiority-,” 

“It is not obvious to me,” Erwin said, cutting Zackley off. The man looked more than disgruntled – he looked like he was about to send Erwin to the chopping block without a second thought. 

“In fact,” the blond continued, “I had an Omega in the Survey Corps for months without any incident.” 

The uproar was deafening. Levi actually felt the impulse to cover his ears, it sounded as though a whole heard of Titans had suddenly stormed into the court hall, creating a cacophony of screams, yells, stomping. Zackley had to stand again in order to cool the crowd down. Levi glanced over at Dok – the man was gripping onto the bannister so tightly his knuckles were paper-white. 

“Who is this Omega, then?” Zackley asked. “Perhaps we should put them on trial as well.” 

“How can you put an Omega on trial if they are not even considered human? You can’t judge property, can you?” 

Suddenly, everyone’s eyes were on him. With belated horror, Levi realized that it hadn’t been Erwin who’d spoken. It had been him. And now every single pupil in the hall was boring holes in him, clad in his frivolous white gown and surrounded by a motley crew of young Omegas, all of whom had managed the impossible and shrunk further behind him. 

“And you are?” Zackley asked politely, even though Levi knew for a fact that he was well aware of his identity. The Omega cleared his throat and leaned forward, his lungs suddenly filled with lead. Erwin’s eyes were on him as well – and that was the most terrifying part. 

“I am Erwin Smith’s Omega. And his subordinate in the Survey Corps,” he finally said, surprised that his voice did not crack. More murmurs. More staring. He closed his eyes, blinking purposefully long, and then exhaled, his attention back on Zackley who was stroking his beard. Eren let out a frightened whimper behind him. 

“You claim to have been part of a military regiment?” 

“Yes,” Levi said testily. 

“And you have presumably mastered the use of Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear?” Zackley asked, a mocking smile twisting his lips. 

“I’m fucking amazing at it too.” 

It seemed as though by the end of the trial none of those present would have a voice to speak of – considering how many times they had already resorted to yelling themselves hoarse. Nevertheless, Levi suddenly found new strength – and if some of it came from Erwin’s intent gaze, then so be it. 

“You were taught how to use it?” 

“I taught myself.” 

Nobody believed an Omega could be smart enough to do that.

“All by yourself?” 

“Erw- My husband came along later, after he discovered my training, to help with the technical aspect,” Levi replied, with more confidence now. 

“And you have fought Titans?” Zackley asked with a laugh. 

“I killed one,” Levi replied casually. He was getting tired of this monkey circus. The crowd’s reactions seemed over-exaggerated, as if they were watching a kitschy stage play. 

“You killed a Titan?” 

“That is correct.” 

“By yourself?” 

“Yes. Saved a couple of lives doing it, too,” Levi replied, folding his arms across his lace-decorated chest. Zackley turned back to look at Erwin who seemed quite tired of this farce as well. 

“And there have been no disturbances among the other Alphas in your regiment?” 

“None at all,” Erwin confirmed. “They respect our mating. At least, that was the case in the beginning. Now, I believe, they respect Levi for who he is. A brilliant soldier, one of a kind, I would say.”

“A respected Omega in the military?” Dok finally yelled. Levi groaned inwardly – of course the clown would be unable to contain himself. “A respected Omega should be at home carrying and tending to the children! That is all they are good for!” 

“That is not _all_ ,” Levi hissed, turning fully to look at the Military Police Commander. His hand found Jean’s trembling wrist and he pulled the Omega out from behind him, pushing him towards the bannister. 

“Look at him! Look! This is _your_ Omega, Commander Dok! You might think that all we’re good for is breeding, but did you know that Jean is a brilliant leader? That he has studied every single book in your family library, ones that you would have never touched because of your ignorance?” 

He turned back to look at Zackley. “Did you know that Eren is selfless enough to put up with your kid’s _shit_ every single second of the day because he hopes for change? Did you know that he has more perseverance than any of you lazy bastards ever combined?” 

“And did you, Commander Pixis,” he began, swiveling to see the man with a flask in his hand in the corner of the arena, “did you know that Armin is a brilliant strategist? That he is a fucking genius with every single subject? That he actually enjoys science? That he’s good at it, too?” 

“If any of you had ever _bothered_ to hold a single fucking conversation with us, you would know that we have lots to say,” Levi announced, shaking with rage. He felt a hand on his shoulder and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Armin. 

“Because why would you talk to property, right? Well, guess what, we are human too,” Levi said bitterly, his eyes on Zackley’s. “And we have a voice.” 

Stunned silence, a first for today’s trial, filled the court. The Alphas were dumb with rage, red-faced, their eyes narrowed at him. The Betas seemed confused, glancing between each other as if they couldn’t quite believe what had just happened. 

“We have a voice!” 

A small fist made its way into the air among the crowd. It parted to reveal a white-robed little girl, perhaps even younger than the bunch of kids standing behind Levi. An Omega, Levi realized, recalling her face vaguely from one of the get-togethers. Historia, that was her name. She was shaking from head to toe, all eyes on her, and yet she stood there, with her fist in the air. 

“We have a voice!” Another scream resounded through the court from the opposite side. Connie. 

“We have a voice!” Armin. 

“We have a voice!” Eren. 

“We have a voice!” Jean.

Suddenly, the entire court was filed with hundreds of voices – beautiful, strong, long-suppressed voices of Omegas. And Levi stood among them, his own fist in the air as their screams rose to the skies, stunning their Alphas into silence, for the first time since the beginning of humanity. 

For the first time, they truly had a voice. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one but an important one – I felt like I had to split it into two here, so... sorry guys, I suck at writing long chapters!

If there were to be a commotion, nobody would ever know. Because the second the Omega’s voices began to die down, there was an explosion. A violent, horrible explosion, one that knocked the crowd off their feet, deafening those who had been closest to the source.

Levi ducked instinctively, his arms flinging out to cover the small band of Omegas he had come to see as his closest friends. There was a strangled scream right behind him – Eren. Something large and heavy had hit Eren, trapping him against the stone floor of the court. Blindly, Levi looked up through the haze of dust and smoke.

The wall was crumbling right in front of their eyes.

Huge pieces of it were falling from what looked like the heavens, crushing the panicking crowd.

Everyone was screaming, running, arms up, eyes wide. Omegas, Betas, Alphas – it didn’t matter now, they were all equally afraid for their lives.

Suddenly, a shadow was cast over them and Levi had to squint.

A face loomed over the wall. A horrible, disfigured, skinless face. Its eyes were blank and lifeless, its jaws powerful and clenched. It towered over the wall as if the height were nothing.

It was a Titan unlike any Levi had ever seen or heard of.

“Armin,” he found himself yelling over the screams. The blond Omega seemed too terrified to process anything, and yet Levi decided to grasp at straws as he grabbed the Omega’s thin wrists and shook him once quite violently.

“Take care of Eren. I think he might have some bones broken. Find cover. Take the rest of the Omegas,” he yelled in a rush, eyes scanning the boy’s frightened features.

“The wall…” Armin mumbled. Levi shook his head.

“Later. Do you understand what you have to do?” He asked, looking Armin in the eye. The Omega glanced down at Eren’s whimpering figure, at Jean who despite his height seemed small, whimpering in horror. Then he nodded.

“Yes, sir,” he said, suddenly composed. It was eerie, but Levi had no time to be spooked. He nodded at Armin once before flinging himself over the bannister that had been their encasing and rushing towards the front of the court. Most of the guards had already fled first – cowards – and it was no work at all to find Erwin, his hands tied behind his back.

“Erwin!”

“Levi?” The blond man looked up from where he had been kneeling, having been blasted off his feet by the force of the explosion. Levi reached for the ropes.

“Levi, what the hell are you doing? You need to get out of here!” The Commander yelled over the crowd’s panic, wide-eyed. _You can’t panic on me now, Erwin,_ Levi thought, finally getting his hands untied.

“I can’t leave when a Titan’s knocking down the Wall, are you nuts?” He yelled back, grabbing Erwin by the back of his neck and tugging him forward so that their foreheads were touching. Blue eyes met grey and for a moment, everything was still.

Then Erwin’s face was taken over by that creepy suicidal smile Levi had come to know as a sign of some shitty-ass adventure coming right up.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked, although his voice seemed already convinced of Levi’s intentions. Levi found himself smirking morbidly in the face of this absurdity.

“I can’t leave you to have all the fun, can I?” He said and, before either of them could change their minds, his lips found Erwin’s.

The kiss was all wrong – lips, teeth, the flavor of dust on their tongues, all of it. They were kneeling and almost lost balance, grabbing onto each other for support.

But it was perhaps the most genuine thing that had happened between them to date and when they pulled apart, Levi was laughing. Erwin was still smiling that maniacal smile of his – even though it seemed a bit dopey and lopsided now.

“Let’s go see what that skinless freak is all about,” Levi said, standing at full height (which wasn’t much, but at that moment, for some reason, he felt like he was taller than that Titan itself). He reached out and helped Erwin to his feet.

“We don’t have any gear,” Erwin said, looking at Levi’s humiliating white robes. The Omega laughed, narrowing his eyes in challenge to Erwin’s words.

“Guess again,” he said. Erwin’s eyebrows shot up. Levi poked him between the ribs, strangely giddy – he didn’t know whether it had been the riot or the kiss or the fact that they might be on their way towards sure death.

“We figured that if they sentenced you to die in spite of my little inspirational speech, there was always a back-up plan,” Levi said, just as he spotted two familiar figures rushing towards them along the court wall. “For once your subordinates are actually capable of carrying out a plan.”

“Hey, I take offence to that,” Hanji said as they landed lightly beside the two of them, two bundles in their arms. Mike landed next to them with four extra gas tanks strapped to his belt. “Your laundry, Commander, and yours, Levi.”

“Lance Corporal, Levi,” Erwin said suddenly. The three of them looked at him with shock. “What? Do you think I was going to let talent pass the Survey Corps by?”

“I’m sure your colleagues are going to hate the fact that an Omega just outranked most of the Alphas in their divisions,” Levi said as he picked up his uniform, casting off his white robe without any shame. Mike had the decency to look a while Hanji ogled. Swiftly, Erwin and Levi pulled on their clothing and gear, all the while glancing around for signs of another attack.

“What do we know?” Erwin asked, snapping the last of his straps in place as Levi did the same.

“Not much,” Mike volunteered. “The Titan came out of nowhere and smashed the Wall like it was made of paper, that’s about it.”

“It stood over the Wall,” Levi said. “I saw it. It was taller than the Wall. Which should be impossible, right?”

Hanji shrugged. “It’s not like we have a Titan standard around these parts of town.”

Levi rolled his eyes.

“So what do we do about it?” He asked Erwin who was already seemingly working on a plan. His sharp blue eyes scanned the almost abandoned court.

“We let the Garrison take care of evacuation and go look for that thing,” he said finally. “Is the rest of the Survey Corps on alert?”

Mike nodded. “Awaiting your orders at the gates.”

Erwin nodded. “Then let’s reconvene with them, see what we have to work with.”

As soon as they took off, another shudder, a smaller one, shook the walls of the courtyard. Levi zoomed up onto the side of a tower to regain his grappling. He landed softly onto the roof, his knees buckling just a little.

“Erwin!” He yelled. “Erwin, there’s more!”

There were _many_ more Titans. None of them as big as the first one, the one that had opened up the passage for them through the Wall, but there were dozens, walking around the streets and reaching for the people who had not taken cover yet. Levi saw a little girl slide down one of their throats and found himself preparing for a jump, blades at the ready only to have Erwin stop him.

“Wait.”

“Are you fucking crazy?” Levi yelled over the screams of people dying in the streets of Mitras. The only consolation to him was that they were all the rich disgusting swines who would have been happy to see Erwin die earlier today. Still, he couldn’t just stand and watch.

“Levi, we need to be smart about this,” Erwin insisted, his hand a heavy weight on Levi’s shoulder. The Omega hissed in irritation.

“We can’t be fucking smart about this, people are _dying_ ,” he said, trying to shake Erwin’s hand off. Another child was snatched and gobbled up right in front of their eyes.

“Yes, and you are the only soldier we have whom the Titans won’t notice!” Erwin argued hotly. Levi’s jaws snapped shut. Right. He was an Omega. Titans didn’t like to eat Omegas. They didn’t even pay them any attention. He glanced down to see several figures clad in white all pressed up against the side of the Wallist cathedral across the street. They were terrified, yes, but none of them seemed harmed. The Titans walked by them as if they weren’t even there.

“So what the fuck are we supposed to do? The big Titan isn’t there anymore,” Levi said, turning on the spot to scan the area. “Where the hell did it go?”

“We can worry about that later. For now, let’s target that group of five and three o’clock,” Erwin said, pointing towards the bunch of Titans that were flocked around a town square. Levi nodded, preparing to jump off the roof.

“Levi?”

He turned around.

“You’re amazing; you know that?”

He lifted an eyebrow, glancing at Erwin with exasperation.

“You tell me that when we’re done saving the world,” he said, shooting off his hooks towards the building. “You owe me a fantastic fuck.”


	16. Chapter 16

Anti-climactic didn’t even begin to describe the end of their impromptu battle against the Titans. At least from where Levi was sitting, there had been nothing unpredictable in the outcome: dozens of people had died (some of whom, arguably, had deserved a gruesome demise for all their misgivings whilst they had been living), dozens had been injured, the brass had somehow ended up nowhere to be found, all bar Levi and a curious and slightly intoxicated Pixis who had taken up a strategic position in one of the taller towers of a Wallist cathedral to observe the proceedings.

Finally, the last Titan fell to the ground as Levi sliced through its neck with a satisfying squelch, and he was back on the roof overlooking the town center which was up in smoke and rubble. Erwin landed next to him, his hand on Levi’s shoulder.

“Is this it?” Levi asked, almost bored. This had been his first encounter with the Titans in battle – and in battle for the city he lived in, no less, and yet it was no different from that time he had first slaughtered one after attacking Erwin. The Titans were all the same, the only thing that had changed had been the backdrop and the number. Not that it mattered.

With Levi being virtually invisible to them, it had been comically easy to kill every single one of the Titans that had ended up in his field of vision. Erwin looked at him as if he had just discovered ice-cream or something, but inside, Levi felt strangely… at ease.

“That’s it for now,” Erwin said, discarding his dulled blades. “It’s the job of the Military Police and the Garrison to clean up.”

“Thank fuck,” Levi said with a sigh. Suddenly, his knees buckled – he hadn’t realized how tired he was. Perhaps there had been more adrenaline at play than he’d thought. Erwin’s steady hands were there to catch him, though, and Levi found himself seeking the comfort of the Alpha’s scent as he leaned against Erwin’s chest and closed his eyes.

“You did well, Levi.”

His eyes opened just a fraction.

“Do you cuddle all your soldiers like this?” He asked jokingly. Erwin’s laughter made him shake against the man’s broad chest.

“No, but you’re special, aren’t you?” He said. Levi glanced up at his face, surprised to see a small yet earnest smile. Erwin didn’t usually spare real, true smiles. “What you did at the court house, Levi… that was…”

“Stupid?” Levi asked. “I know.”

“it was reckless, yes, and it could have backfired in so many ways. But you didn’t back down and you came there to speak for me,” Erwin replied gravely, his face unreadable. “Nobody had ever spoken for me before.”

“I’m sure they have. The military loves you because you’re a suicidal bastard,” Levi said, feelings strangely moved by Erwin’s sweet uncertainty.

“I still did something illegal,” Erwin said, a small smile on his face. “Although something tells me you don’t particularly care for the laws of this state, do you?”

“Damn right,” Levi said. He glanced down at the town square where people were already starting to gather, their rich clothes in tatters. Most of them were Alphas, although he did see some splotches of white here and there were small groups of Omegas were huddled together, terrified.

“I don’t want there to be a repeat of this,” he said suddenly. He chanced a look at Erwin who seemed deep in thought.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that nobody should stand trial for involving Omegas in something they might actually be really fucking good at,” Levi said.

“You!”

The two of them looked down to see Nile Dok dragging his Omega, Jean, by the hair into the middle of the town square. The Omega struggled against him, instead of falling limp like he had undoubtedly been taught to do, but his strength was nothing compared to that of a trained (if not lazy) soldier.

“You fucking bitch, you went against my word,” Dok yelled at the boy, spewing saliva everywhere as he drew his blade and pressed it against Jean’s carotid.

“Oi!”

The enraged Alpha looked up to see Erwin and Levi on the rooftop, blades at the ready as well. He spat at them openly, fueling murmurs among the small crowd that had gathered.

“I fucking _prayed_ you two would be eaten!” He yelled. Levi gave the man a bored look, jumping off the building and landing next to him. He heard Erwin follow him closely – an Alpha following his Omega, wasn’t that a first?

“I fucking prayed your fucking mustache would finally take over your face and eat your brain,” Levi said, pushing the man with his shoulder.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Smith, you need to reign in your bitch-,”

“He just saved hundreds of lives,” Erwin said calmly, his hand a supportive weight on Levi’s shoulder. “And if you were too blind to see that, then I feel sincerely sorry for the Military police, Nile.”

The Alpha spat at Erwin’s feet theatrically. Levi rolled his eyes.

“Let Jean go and we’ll leave, it’s just that simple,” he said, brandishing his blade at Nile.

“You _dare_ threaten an Alpha?”

“In case you haven’t seen, the status quo is changing, dickweed,” Levi hissed. He took another step forwards, making Nile lean back reflexively. Though the man was clearly mad with anger at Jean, he was also… afraid? Was he really afraid of Levi? The feeling was exhilarating. It reminded the Omega of all those years ago, back in the Underground, before he had presented. When his uncle had groomed him to become a murderer and a thief. Him, a mere child, oh, how he had been feared by the common criminals of the Underground world. How respected.

Back before he had fallen victim to his own biology.

“You should know your place,” Nile spat, letting Jean go. The Omega fell to the ground with a painful groan. Levi guessed there were at least a couple of broken ribs there, judging from the pained little noises the boy made every time he breathed.

“And what is my place?” Levi asked, allowing himself to step closer. He glanced backwards at Erwin. “Take care of Jean. Take him to Hanji, they’ll know what to do.”

Erwin nodded and the crowd’s murmurs rose. He gently helped Jean off the ground.

“W-wait,” Jean said, stopping the man before he could leave. “What about Levi?”

“I can take care of myself,” Levi said quietly, not taking his eyes off Nile. The man bared his teeth at him, looking like he was not much more than a mere animal.

“Is that a fucking threat, you whore?” He asked. Levi’s face was impassive as the man grabbed him by the front of his uniform shirt. “You’re not fucking worthy of this uniform, your place is on your fucking knees-,”

“I suggest you let me go right now before you regret your actions,” Levi said quietly.

“Why the fuck would I regret putting a bitch like you in his place?” Nile seethed, raising a hand to slap Levi across the face.

“Commander Zackley!” Levi called over his shoulder. Nile’s eyes widened in fear when he saw the burly man behind Levi’s back, watching the display from the shadows.

“Can you tell me what the punishment is for attacking a pregnant Omega?”

Erwin froze halfway across the square, stopping dead in his tracks. Jean let out a squeal. The Commander of the Survey Corps went to dash back towards his Omega, eyes wide, when he was stopped by Nile’s men.

“Levi!”

The rest of the people went nuts. There was a commotion. Someone’s foot got crushed by someone else’s boot as they all struggled to take a better look at the Omega who was wearing actual _pants_.

Zackley let out an impressed little sound. Almost as if he were proud of Levi.

“Death,” he said calmly. Nile’s hold on Levi’s shirt slackened and the Omega took that chance to step back, brushing himself off.

“Good boy. Now, you behave yourself,” he said, wagging his finger at Nile.

“Commander Zackley, you can’t be serious, this Omega-,”

“You saw as well as I did what he is capable of,” Zackely replied. Levi turned around to face the man. Armin stood by his side, with Eren leaning on his shoulder heavily. At least those two were all right.

“But he’s an _Omega_ ,” Nile whined petulantly, making him appear as if he were three years old and missing a promised supply of candy. Levi rolled his eyes.

“An Omega who possesses the skill and stealth that most of the men under your command can only dream of,” Zackley said quietly, his eyes raking over Levi’s form. He inclined his head to the side.

“Perhaps I have been too quick to judge Erwin Smith’s decision to include you in the Survey Corps,” he said.

“Perhaps you have been too quick to judge all of us Omegas,” Levi replied. His audacity sparked more outraged conversation, but he ignored it, staring Zackley down. The man looked at him for a long time before letting out a chuckle.

“You drive a tough bargain, don’t you?” He said, casting a glance at Eren and Armin.

“You think you can make these two into soldiers?” He asked. The two Omegas looked at him with disbelief. Levi’s heartbeat sped up but he managed to squeeze his excitement by the throat and appear nonchalant.

“They have potential.”

“Your speech during the trial was quite convincing,” Zackley said conversationally. Finally, he sighed, pushing the two boys towards Levi.

“I give you a year. If you can prove that these two can do it, then we can consider this a success,” he said.

Eren gaped at him. “B-but, what about the baby?”

“Apparently it is of no consequence,” Zackley said, glancing back at Levi. “Is it, Omega Smith?”

“Actually makes me feel better flying,” Levi said with a smirk. “And it’s Levi, please.”

“Levi, then,” Zackley said, his mouth quirking into an amused smirk.

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

“I would like to request a bigger… study sample,” Levi said boldly. “At least five more.”

Zackley let out a laugh. “A _really_ tough bargain, then. Fine. If you can convince their Alphas to let them go, then fine.”

“You’re giving me Jean,” Levi hissed at Dok threateningly. The Alpha just growled at him in frustration.

Levi jerked his head towards the nearest alleyway where Erwin stood with Jean, still seemingly dumbfounded. The two soldiers who had been holding him back stepped away, bowing their heads when Levi approached. How fast public opinion changed.

Armin and Eren fell into step behind their undeclared leader, supporting each other’s weight. Jean slung his arm over their shoulders as well, and the three of them huddled together in a crooked sort of triangle.

“Is it true?” The Commander of the Survey Corps finally squeezed out, eyes wide.

Levi boldly took his hand and pressed it against his stomach. Erwin’s breath seemed to get caught in his chest and he just stared at Levi.

“You didn’t think I was just getting fat, did you?” The Omega asked quietly.

“W-when?”

“I started throwing up a couple of months ago. Gaining weight, too,” Levi said. “Figured it was all the new food you’ve been feeding me.”

“How did you know for sure?”

“When I flew today,” Levi said with a small sardonic smile.

“it moved.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for sappy conclusions, okay?


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!

“Are you fucking _blind_ or something, Jäger?”

The boy heard Levi’s billow (which was quite tremendous for someone of his size, he had to give him that), and fumbled with the gear. Too long for comfort, and soon enough he was slamming face-forward into a wall. As he had done for the past hour. He was pretty sure his nose was never going to look the same again.

Levi landed over him on the roof as he hung on to a ledge by the very tips of his fingers. With a frustrated sigh, the older man pulled him up. Eren was once again impressed by his commanding officer – for the umpteenth time that day. Being able to fly around effortlessly and lug around uncoordinated cadets should not, by definition, seem this easy; especially considering the fact that the elder Omega’s stomach looked like he might have feasted on a Titan himself.

“S-sorry, sir,” Eren stammered, brushing himself off. “I don’t know what happened there.”

“What happened, Jäger, is that you don’t listen,” Levi said, crossing his arms. “What did I tell you about waiting for my command? Not a second earlier, or a second later, right?”

“Right,” Eren replied, hanging his head in shame. He was getting better, really, he was, but it was just taking some time because of his unhealthy enthusiasm. Ever since him and the other Omegas had been declared guinea pigs for Omega integration into the Survey Corps, he had been thrumming with eagerness. That had come back to bite him in the ass, obviously.

“You want to make a fool of yourself at the demonstration? Three days left and you still look like a fucking rookie,” Levi continued his deprecation. Eren did not bite back, knowing he deserved every single word.

After all, the success of this entire thing lay on the shoulders of three hapless Omegas who had known nothing but relative comfort and family-making before they had signed up for this. Or rather, had _been_ signed up for this.

The only consolation, if any, was that neither Jean nor Armin were much better than him. Sure, Jean was stupidly coordinated and Armin had his brains going for him, but they couldn’t be that much more worth than him, right?

“You want your Alpha to see you fail? And then tell you that all you’re good for is popping out kids?” Levi thundered. Eren’s expression became closed off and the elder Omega realized that he had overstepped.

“Fuck. Sorry.”

Eren shook his head.

“I deserved that.”

A tentative hand touched his shoulder for a brief moment. Coming from Levi, that was like a hug. With a back rub included.

“What did Hanji say last night?” Levi asked cautiously, leaning back against the roof, his hand on his swollen stomach. He felt almost bad now, after having said that, standing here in front of Eren with his obvious pregnancy for him to see.

Eren sighed.

“They don’t think it’s going to work,” he said. “The damage from the accident was too much.”

After the rubble had fallen on Eren in the court hall, he had lost the baby he had been pregnant with. To him, it had been a tremendous blow to begin with; but the shit hadn’t ended there: after stitching him up, Hanji had cautiously told him that the chances of him ever having more children were incredibly slim. Monthly checkups did nothing to change the prognosis, and it was taking a toll on the cadet.

“Have you spoken to Zackley?” Levi asked. The Alpha had not attended any of the training sessions, claiming he would see everything he needed to see during the demonstration this week. Nevertheless, even Dok had once grudgingly waved at Jean from across the courtyard when he had come with an official visit to see Erwin. Levi hadn’t stuck around to see if Jean had waved back. It wasn’t his business.

Eren shook his head.

“I wrote him a letter,” he said bitterly, looking up at the sky. “He just wrote back saying that the other kids are fine. They want to see me.”

“That’s good, I guess,” Levi said with a shrug. He couldn’t imagine how it would be a good thing, considering he had seen what Eren’s eldest son had been like. He just hoped the child would grow up eventually without developing Alpha-pig-head syndrome.

“What about you?” Eren asked, looking pointedly at Levi’s stomach. “It looks like you’re due any day now.”

Levi _tsked_ in irritation.

“Don’t I know it? Knowing my luck, I’m gonna go into labor mid-air or something,” he said, patting his stomach. “Erwin insists I should sit it out.”

“Maybe you should,” Eren ventured. Levi gave him a _look_.

“And miss you numbskulls shaming me in front of all those Alpha assholes? Never,” he said. Eren smiled at his feet. It had taken a while for him to get used to this new Levi, the one who did not pretend he was the perfect Omega, demure and obedient. No, the real Levi, pregnant or not, was vicious, very opinionated and definitely not well-spoken. It seemed as though the child would have to get its entire vocabulary restructured by Commander Smith eventually, since their mother spoke almost exclusively in expletives.

“Do you think we’ll win?” Eren asked pensively. The tension in his shoulder over the past couple of days had been increasing. Jean and Armin had also been more out of focus lately, despite their motivation to do well. This stress was taking a toll on everyone. Levi had even ended up chasing Erwin into a different wing of the Survey Corps castle after having gone off on him for no reason (of course, _at the time_ , there had been reason enough, in Levi’s opinion, how dare Erwin try to kiss him while he’s cleaning?).

“I think we already did, in a way,” Levi said. Eren gave him an inquisitive look.

“Well, the idea is in their heads, right? That Omegas can be part of the military,” Levi said with a shrug. “Even if you three flop tomorrow completely, you can’t just kill an idea. Once it’s there, it’s there.”

“Is this your way of telling me not to worry?” Eren asked, his lips quirking into a half-smile. Levi elbowed him in the ribs.

“I’ll show you my way of stringing up a disobedient cadet by the toes if you don’t get your ass in gear. Again!”

* * *

“Do you think… we will win tomorrow?”

Later that week Levi asked the same question Eren had of him, but to Erwin. Of course, he could have chosen a more opportune moment to do it than being in the middle of riding his husband’s dick in the Commander’s beloved office chair; but then again, Levi and timing generally didn’t get along very well.

Erwin had already gotten used to that aspect of their relationship, so he barely quirked a brow before digging his fingers into Levi’s thighs and bruising them with his strong grip. Levi threw his head back ecstatically.

“Pretty sure I won already,” Erwin said smoothly, shifting his hips in the most minute fashion that made Levi see stars. The Omega dragged his fingers through Erwin’s hair, pulling on it demandingly. Erwin’s lips opened in a silent moan, and Levi, with some difficulty due to the size of his stomach, leaned over to trace the outline of the man’s mouth with his tongue, causing him to moan vocally now.

“You’re a fucking sentimental sob,” Levi growled. Erwin’s eyes were brilliant as he looked up at the Omega, his hands finding purchase on his hips.

“I’m a man… in love… give me… a break,” he panted. Levi’s heart stuttered for a moment and he halted his movements.

Erwin frowned up at him, confused by the sudden pause.

“What?’

Levi furrowed his brows as well.

“You’ve never said that before, is all,” he finally ventured. Erwin’s gaze softened and he reached up to cup Levi’s face with his large hand. The Omega was of half a mind to slap the hand away, his skin suddenly crawling with insecurities.

“I… didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable,” Erwin replied.

“And now you’re saying it because tomorrow everything might change?” Levi asked, biting his lip. He made to get up and off Erwin, but the Alpha’s strong hands kept him in place.

“No. I just… wanted to tell you is all. You don’t have to say it back,” Erwin said, the words coming out in a rush.

They looked at each other for a really long time.

“it’s fine,” Levi said after a while. “I can say it now. Not that it’s going to change anything.”

Erwin’s frown deepened.

“It would change a lot.”

“I thought the fact that I saved your ass and am currently carrying your spawn was enough,” Levi said, a little bitingly. Erwin’s expression took on a serene quality.

“Sentimental fuck,” Levi muttered into the kiss his Commander proceeded to bestow on his lip.

“You’re married to a sentimental fuck,” Erwin said, grinning. A shiver went through Levi’s body and the Alpha arched an eyebrow.

“You like it when I use dirty language, don’t you?”

“Shut up.”

“Admit it, you enjoy hearing me curse.”

“I said shut the fuck up,” Levi muttered, glancing down at Erwin’s shoulder.

“I don’t think I will… _shut the fuck up_ ,” Erwin whispered theatrically, enunciating every syllable. Levi growled.

“That’s it, you’re dead!”

* * *

“What do you think he’ll say?”

“If you don’t shut up, Jäger, we won’t fucking hear.”

“Sorry, sir.”

“It’s taking too long.”

“Kirschtein, you take too long in the fucking bathroom styling your hair. This is normal.”

“Apologies.”

“But, Levi – I mean, _sir_ -,“

“Arlert-,”

“Shh, they’re about to start speaking.”

“They better do it fast.”

“W-why?”

“My water just broke.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a bit open-ended, but I'd rather not pull an Isayama and shit all over people's dreams so...  
> Thank you to everyone who's been reading and commenting, I love you guys more than anything! Please look out for my other fics, Semper Ardens and Attack!


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